Description

Immediate dispatch from Somerset. Nice older book in good condition. Pages in good condition. Plates bright. No dustcover. Hardcover. English. See images for condition.

About the book >.>.> Ignorance and curiosity prompted the beginnings of this study. In 1967 the Age of Rembrandt exhibition opened at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. There as a graduate student of Dutchartat Harvard I first encountered Jacob Ochtervelt’s Muoir Lesson (cat. nr. 63; Fig. 75 Art Institute of Chicago). The picture seemed to hold its own among a selection of extremely fine Dutch paintings. I wondered why the artist’s name was not more familiar to me and I began to seek out more of his works. In time this investigation led to the writing of a doctoral dissertation on Ochtervelt (Department of Fine Arts Harvard University 1971). Special thanks are offered to Professor Seymour Slive for his meticulous always constructive criticism of the original manuscript and for his encouragement and advice during the preparation of the book. Much of the research and writing leading to the completion of this project was made possible by a yeat of freedom from other commitments (1974-75) provided by the Smith Fellowship National Gallery of Art Washington D.C. I am extremely grateful to Robert H. and Clarice Smith for their generous support of scholarship in the field of Dutch art. In the course of my work both muscum personnel and private coffectors have been most helpful in supplying data for the catalogue as well as access to the paintings themselves. Since many of Ochtervelt’s works are still on the art market a particular word of appreciation is due the numerous dealers who generously provided information and photographs and allowed me to examine then files. Certainly no catalogue of a Dutch artist’s oeuvre could be compiled without the seemingly infinite resources of the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie The Hague and the untiring assistance of its staff. I am greatly indebted to W. van de Watering and G. Kotting for theit helpatall. (MP)