The Hospital Orderly
Jacobus VrelOil on panel, 65 x 45 cm.
Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp
Jacobus VREL
working, probably in Delft, 1654–1662
Of all the minor Dutch painters of the seventeenth century Vrel is one of the most enigmatic The location of his activity can only be surmised through searching far the possible sources of his style, and there is a general agreement that this was probably Delft, although there is no record of him in the town. His few dated pictures range from 1654 to 1662.
Vrel concentrated on two distinctly different types of painting. Half of his pictures -depict rather bare interiors painted in the manner of Pieter Janssens or Pieter de Hooch. He liked to paint bare walls in a manner reminiscent of Vermeer. The other half of his work consists of street scenes where the houses tend to be seen frontally, as in Vermeer's Little Street in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Perhaps one day more information will come to light about this beautiful painter.
Signatures on paintings are the only surviving documents of Jacobus Vrel's life. His seemingly naïve style and his pictures' rarity even have prompted speculation that he was an amateur. Scholars most often link Vrel's manner to Delft artists such as Johannes Vermeer and Pieter de Hooch, but elements in his street scenes may indicate connections to Haarlem, Friesland, Flanders, or the lower Rhineland. Scholars have attributed thirty-eight paintings depicting domestic interiors, courtyards, street scenes, and church interiors to Vrel. His only dated painting, from 1654, suggests that, rather than following, Vrel anticipated Delft artists' interest in domestic themes and light effects.
Vrel rejected Dutch artists' traditional approach of describing surfaces in great detail. Instead, he created lofty spaces, often conveying an eerie feeling of emptiness. His interiors, with their curiously stunted furniture, frequently display a single woman, usually viewed from behind or in profile. His street scenes are unusual in their anonymity, showing unremarkable back streets and ordinary people. Vrel's painting technique—a straightforward manner without glazes or other refinements—complemented his unpretentious subjects.
- Willem van Aelst (2)
- Balthasar van der Ast (6)
- Hendrick Avercamp (3)
- Dirck van Baburen (7)
- Jacob Adriaenz. Backer (3)
- David Bailly
- Ludolf Bakhuysen
- Bartholomeus van Bassen
- Cornelis Bega
- Gerrit Berckheyde (2)
- Gillis Gillisz de Bergh
- Jan van Bijlert (7)
- Jan de Bisschop (2)
- Abraham Bloemaert (4)
- Pieter De Bloot
- Ferdinand Bol (3)
- Hans Bollinger
- Paulus Bor (2)
- Ambrosio Bosschaert (7)
- Jan Both
- Leonaert Bramer (4)
- Salomon de Bray (2)
- Quiringh van Brekelenkam (4)
- Jan Gerritszoon van Bronchorst (2)
- Adriaen Brouwer (5)
- Hendrick ter Brugghen (6)
- Hendrick van der Burch (5)
- Willem Buytewech (6)
- Abraham van Calraet (2)
- Jacob van Campen
- Jan van de Cappelle(3)
- Pieter Claesz (4)
- Pieter Codde (6)
- Adriaen Coorte (9)
- Josse van Craesbeeck (2)
- Aelbert Cuyp (6)
- Philip van Dijk
- Gerrit Dou (10)
- Willem Drost (2)
- Hendrick Dubbels
- Jacob Duck (4)
- Karel Dujardin (3)
- Willem Duyster (5)
- Gerbrand van den Eeckhout
- Pieter Jansens Elinga
- Cesar van Everdingen (5)
- Allaert van Everdingen
- Carel Fabritius (5)
- Goveart Flinck
- Frans Francken the Younger
- Aert de Gelder
- Cornelis Gijsbrechts
- Jan van Goyen (6)
- Frans Hals (3)
- Dirck Hals (5)
- Jan Davidsz. Heem (6)
- Maerten van Heemskerck
- Bartholomeus van der Helst (4)
- Jan van der Heyden (8)
- Meyndert Hobbema (3)
- Gerard van Honthorst (8)
- Pieter de Hooch (12)
- Van Hoogstraten (9)
- Gerard Houckgeest (4)
- Jan van Huysum (3)
- Willem Kalf (4)
- Jan van Kessel
- Philip Koninck (2)
- Gérard de Lairesse (5)
- Pieter Lastman
- Judith Jansdochter Leyster (5)
- Jan Lievens (4)
- Jacob van Loo (7)
- Nicolaes Maes (9)
- Cornelis de Man (5)
- Gabriel Metsu (12)
- Michiel Janz. van Mierevelt (3)
- Frans van Mieris (8)
- Jan Miense Molenaer (5)
- Pieter Molijn (2)
- Paulus Moreelse (2)
- Pieter Mulier
- Michiel van Musscher (5)
- Aert van der Neer (3)
- Eglon van der Neer (3)
- Caspar Netscher (5)
- Jacob Ochervelt (8)
- Jacob van Oost (2)
- Adriaen van Ostade (5)
- Antonie Palamedesz (6)
- Adam Pijnacker (5)
- Egbert van der Poel (2)
- Jan Porcellis (4)
- Pieter Symonz. Potter
- Paulus Potter (7)
- Pieter Jansz. Quast (2)
- Rembrandt van Rijn (complete oeuvre)
- Jacob van Ruisdael (8)
- Solomon van Ruisdael (7)
- Rachel Ruysch (2)
- Pieter Saenredam (3)
- Godfried Schalcken (6)
- Hercules Segers (2)
- Hendrick Sorg (4)
- Jan Steen (8)
- Harmen Steenwyck (3)
- Matthias Stom (2)
- Michael Sweerts (6)
- David Teniers the Younger
- Gerrit ter Borch (15)
- Willem van de Velde (7)
- Jacob van Velsen
- Johannes Verkolje (2)
- Jan Cornelisz Verspronck (4)
- Abraham de Verwer
- Simon de Vlieger
- Hendrick van Vliet (2)
- Daniel Vosmaer (4)
- Jacobus Vrel (8)
- Jacob van Walscapelle (2)
- Jan Baptist Weenix (2)
- Jan Wijnants (3)
- Emanuel de Witte (6)
- Philips Wouwermans (2)