Om realismen i holländsk bildtradition

Abstract

Summary Towards the middle of the 15th century the cathedral of Utrecht was embellished with cloisters of exquisite workmanship. Above the arches were carved episodes from the life of St. Martin, patron saint of the cathedral, and in the traceries the fleur‐de‐lis was a recurring symbol. However, only little now remains that is original. After almost total decay, the cloisters were reconstructed during 1876–1896 by P. J. H. Cuypers, who for the traceries and the lilies had recourse to a drawing by Saenredam (Fig. 2). When Cuypers started this work, at least one bay was still in rather good condition, and he is to be commended for not having tampered with the traceries, which here play the part of a happening. They have, as it were, fallen apart and ropes of stone have been added to hold the parts together (Fig. 1). By their objective precision, the ropes reveal a will to illusionism, which in its Dutch context is surely more than a coincidence. It is just that sort of visual deception in which the painter...