An Imaginary View of Nijenrode Castle
- Artist: Jan van der Heyden
- Date: probably 1665-70
- Medium: oil on wood
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the "An Imaginary View of Nijenrode Castle" painted in the Dutch tradition by Jan van der Heyden. Here, we see a unique composition where two buildings are brought much closer together than they were in reality. In the foreground is the sacristy of Utrecht Cathedral, while just across the cobbled street is Nijenrode Castle. Now located at Breukelen, well outside the city, these buildings still exist but have undergone significant changes since this painting was created.
Note how van der Heyden has adjusted reality to create a more cohesive scene. We know that he often made small changes to individual buildings in his paintings - for example, here the sacristy is depicted as being made of brick instead of stone. This attention to detail is characteristic of van der Heyden's work, and he was particularly known for his meticulous renderings of city streets and individual buildings.
Look at how he has cast the foreground in shade and bathed the middle ground in sunlight, creating a sense of depth and perspective. The inclusion of people and animals adds both interest and scale to the composition. While van der Heyden often painted them himself, some may have been added by his collaborator Adriaen van der Velde.
Painted around 1665-70, this work is an excellent example of van der Heyden's skill in painting with meticulous attention to detail, particularly when it comes to the surface texture of stone and brick.
See it in person
An Imaginary View of Nijenrode Castle hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
