| | | Famous Dutch Painters from Dordrecht, Ancient Capital of HollandPart 4
Note : Please do not email me with technical questions about paintings and their age and origin because I am not an expert but I only have gathered information about the Painters from the Netherlands and specially from Dordrecht.
Dordrecht is not only known as the oldest city and ancient capital of Holland but also for the many famous painters who were born or lived in Dordrecht during the late Middle ages and later centuries. The most famous painters from Dordrecht were : Abraham Bloemaert, Ferdinand Bol, Abraham van Calreat, Albaert, Benjamin Gerritz and Jacob Gerritz CUYP, Pietsser Fontijn, Aert de Gelder, Samuel van Hoogstraten, Arnold Houbraken, Willem de Klerk, Frans Lebret, Jacobus Leveck, Nicolaes Maes, Ary Scheffer, Aert and Martinus Schouman, Abraham van Strij, Jan Veth and many, many others. On the next pages you can find many works from these famous painters who were responsible for many styles of paintings and they immortalized the daily life and landscapes in the 15th to 19th century. Most of their masterpieces are nowadays part of collections in museums all over the world and of which many can be seen in the local Dordrechts Museum.
Calraet or Kalraet, baptized on 12 October 1642 in Dordrecht, the eldest son of Pietsser Jansz. van Calraet (c. 1620-1681), a woodcarver and one of six artist brothers, of whom Barendt (1649-1737), and possibly Abraham himself, studied under Alaert Cuyp. He was first the pupil of the Huppe brothers Aemilius and Samuel, sculptors in Dordrecht, and subsequently practiced as a wood-carver and as a painter of still-life, stable scenes, landscapes with horses, and some portraits. In 160 he married in Dordrecht a daughter of the painter C. Bisschop. He was buried in Dordrecht on 12 June 1722. According to Houbraken, Abraham was taught by the Dordrecht sculptors Huppe, although nothing is known of his activity as a sculptor. Houbraken lso stated that Abraham learnt to paint figures and fruit and that his brother Barendt van Calraet (1649-1737), who specialized at first in horse paintings but later imitated the Rhine landscapes of Herman Saftleven, was a pupil of Aelbert Cuyp. The known signed works by Barendt confirm this. A painting of two horses in a stable, initialed APK (Rotterdam, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen), indicates that Abraham, too, must have been well acquainted with Cuyp and provides the basis for identifying Abraham's painting style. A large number of landscapes with horses, paintings of livestock in stables and still-lifes, all initialed A.C. and formerly attributed to Aelbert Cuyp, are now generally considered to be the work of van Calraet, although many o these are in fact copies after him. Woodsy landscape with animals and horsesAbraham van Calraet panel 42,25 x 59,7 cm Dordrechts Museum Two equestrians, a man and a woman, driving by a woodsy environment shone on with the sun shines on the hills. The equestrians and their dogs overtake a farmer with cows and sheeps, while on the opposite side of the path a small party persons is looking. Calraet derived not only motives from Aelbert Cuyp but also on other painters, under who the famous horse painter Philips Wouwerman (1619-1668). |  |
 | Landscape with equestrian by evening lightAbraham van Calraet panel 47,5 x 56,8 cm Dordrechts museum Because of the monogram A.C. on the right-hand corner of the painting it was for a long time also thought as a work of Aelbert Cuyp. |
Man, woman and childAbraham van Calraet panel 91,4 x 154,1 cm Dordrechts museum Man, woman and a kid on a table, whereupon lies cattle and vegetables. |  |
 | Two oxen on a farmAbraham van Calreat Oil on panel 39.5 x 55.5 cm Rijksmuseum Amsterdam On the foreground a couple of Doves rummage. |
Landscape with fighting equestriansAbraham van Calreat Oil on panel 50 x 65.5 cm Rijksmuseum Amsterdam In a hill scenery at the bank of a river two quarelling groups equestrians met each other. |  |
 | Officers and townsfolk at an encampment outside BredaAbraham van Calraet, c. 1670/80 Oil on panel 50.7 x 52.9 cm National Museum Paleis 't Loo, Apeldoorn The scene probably depicts the Dutch encampment during the siege in 1637. As a comparison suggests with the picture of Stadtholder Frederik Hendrik on horseback outside Breda. This work was probably painted for the clientele who could hardly remember the Eighthy Years War. |
Still-life with Peaches and Grapes Abraham van Calreat c. 1680 Oil on canvas Mauritshuis, The Hague Abraham van Calraet was Aelbert Cuyp's principal seventeenth follower. Confusion between the two is compounded by the signature 'A.C.' found on van Calraet's views of Dordrecht, pictures f horsemen, and still-lifes. it is sometimes erroneously accepted as Aelbert Cuyp's own monogram. | 
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| The Interior of a StableAbraham van Calreat c.1690 Oil on Oak panel 39.3 x 57.3 cm National Gallery London Stable interiors of this type were painted by Calraet in imitation of pictures by Philips Wouwermans, such as 'The Interior of a Stable' also in the National Gallery's Collection. Trough the archway a family can be seen begging for alms. The surface of the picture is considerably worn so that the wood grain shows, notably in the sky. |
Scene on the Ice outside DordrechtAbraham van Calreat c. 1665 Oil on panel 33.5 x 57.5 cm Dordrechts museum, borrowed from the Natioal Gallery London Dordrecht i seen here from the north, across the river Maas. In the left background is the Groothoofdspoort, a watergate which still survives, although it was altered in the late 17th century. To the right of it is the the Dordrecht Minster (Grote Kerk) which is unchanged today. Party because of the parallels between the city views in this picture and in works by Albaert Cuyp, the painting has in the past been attributed to him. This panel was part of a collection of paintings who were auctioned in 1785 and sold to England. In 2002 the painting came back to Dordrecht after 200 years and is since then borrowed from the National Gallery of London. | |
 | A Boy holding a Grey HorseAbraham van Calreat Oak panel 36.2 x 32.4 cm National Gallery London This picture is attributed to Calraet because of its closeness in style to signed paintings by him. It does, however, bear a false Cuyp signature and in the past has been catalogued as his work. The horse in particular appears in pictures by both artists. It''s not unusual for paintings by Calraet to be mistaken for works by Cuyp. There are several versions of this subject, including one (London, Wallace Collection) which is also falsely signed as the work of Cuyp. |
A Brown and White Skewbald Horse with a Saddle beside itAbraham van Calreat c.1680 Oil on Oak panel 34.2 x 44.4 cm National Gallery London Like many other works by the artist, this painting was once attributed to Aelbert Cuyp, but it is related to paintings which are now considered to be by Calraet, for example 'Stable Interior with Two Dapple-Grey Horses' (Rotterdam, Museum Boymans-van Beuningen). The horse appears, with variations, in the Rotterdam picture. |  |
 | Two Horsemen at a TavernAbraham van Calraet Oil on oak panel 38.8 x 54.8 cm Wallace collection, London Inscription: 'A.cuyp' Originally bought as a work by Albaert Cuyp, but later recognized as a work by Calraet.
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Cattle on a River Bank Abraham van Calraet Oil on oak panel 34.3 x 53.8 cm Wallace collection, London |  |
 | Halt at an Inn Abraham van Calraet Oil on oak panel Image 38.7 x 58.7 cm Wallace collection, London Inscription: '.cuyp' Originally thought to be a work by Cuyp, but later recognised as a work by Calraet. Although there is still some doubt. |
Horses tied to a TreeAbraham van Calreat Oil on oak panel 45 x 54 cm Wallace collection, London |  |
 | The StartAbraham van Calraet Oil on panel 32 x 47 cm National gallery of Scotland This painting is typical of Van Calraet’s work, particularly in the depiction of dogs and horses. It shows two riders and their dogs preparing to leave an inn and ‘start’ their journey. A wreath and a pewter wine jug hanging from the pole attached to the building indicate that this is an inn; the lady to the left wearing red is the inn-keeper. One man is mounted with his plumed hat and gloves on and clearly wishes to leave, while the other gestures to his companion to enjoy another glass (‘roemer’) of wine. Until the twentietssh century, this picture was thought to be by Aelbert Cuyp, as it emulates his work both in its composition and in its use of light. |
Huntsmen on horseback with a tower beyond; and Huntsmen on horseback in a landscape, a pairAbraham van Calraet Oil on copper 23.2 x 19.7 cm Private collection |  |
 | Dordrecht with the Apple Market and the Oude HavenAbraham van Calraet, before 1694 Oil o panel 66 x 102 cm Private collection |
A Horse and Cows in a LandscapeAbraham van Calraet Oil on panel, 28 x 40 cm Private collection
There is a false signature "A. cuyp" in the lower right corner of the painting. |  |

| A cockerel and a henAbraham van Calraet oil on panel 48.2 x 59.8 cm Private collection |
An evening river landscape with a cowherd and cows y the edge of a copse, a bridge and ruins beyondAbraham Pietssersz. van Calraet oil on canvas 71.7 x 97.4 cm Private collection | 
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| A cavalry skirmishAbraham van Calraet oil on canvas 135.9 x 161.9 cm Private collection |
Antwerp 1631 - Dordrecht 1681Reynier Covyn was born in Antwerp and moved to Dordrecht about 1650. His older brother was Israel Covyn who was a member of the Dortse Brotherhood of Fine-painters. Covijn was a pupil of Nicolaes Maes and became a specialist in painting kitchen interiors. Interior of a kitchenReynier Covyn Oil on panel 36,3 x 41 cm A kitchen girl pours a sauce over the fish in the scale standing on a stove. On the background we see a view to a room with a covered table. That motive is clearly derived from the perspective views of Nicolaes Maes. | 
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Next : Famous painters from Dordrecht, Part 5 | |