A tribute to Antwerp painters
The early seventeenth century saw the emergence of an exclusive genre in Antwerp painting, namely ‘Constkamers’ or painted art galleries. The painter captures the collection of a proud art collector in a gallery picture so that the latter can show it off. The Flemish painter Willem van Haecht was best known for his paintings of art galleries and collections. Only a few of his works have been preserved: three rare Galleries of Cornelis van der Geest, a prominent Antwerp art collector and patron of Rubens. One of these paintings, dated 1628, belongs to the Rubens House and is included in the Flemish List of Masterpieces. The work was in 2021 subjected to a thorough restoration by the experts of the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA).
Only a handful of painters produced such gallery pictures. As far as can be ascertained, no more than a hundred paintings were preserved. These were produced for the free market and, in some instances, commissioned by kings. It is difficult to determine why this fascinating genre was only practiced in Antwerp.
