Un album démembré de Gerard van Honthorst (1592-1656) : dessins inédits et reconstitution d'un corpus
An article in La Tribune de l'Art presents a significant expansion of the known corpus of drawings by Dutch Golden Age painter Gerard van Honthorst (1592-1656). Following the 2014 exhibition of twenty-seven drawings identified by the author, this study adds thirty-two more sheets—twenty-two of which are previously unpublished—as a preliminary step toward reconstructing a dismembered album. The research, conducted with direct observation and advanced imaging techniques (digital microscopy, ultraviolet, raking light), aims to restore the album's original order and shed light on the role of drawing in Honthorst's workshop and creative process.
This matters because Honthorst, a leading Caravaggist painter who worked for European courts including those of Charles I of England and Christian IV of Denmark, has long been understudied as a draftsman. The article challenges the assumption that Caravaggesque painters neglected drawing, positioning Honthorst as the most prolific and well-documented draftsman among Dutch Caravaggisti. The reconstruction of his album offers new insights into studio practice, artistic training under Abraham Bloemaert, and the chronology of Honthorst's oeuvre, with a full catalogue raisonné of his drawings forthcoming from R.S.V.P. Editions in Brussels.