New Issue Oud Holland 139
Marriage is a controlled disorder, in a world in which impulsive choice is persistently exposed as perilous, at least according to four curious paintings made by the Dutch artist Adriaen van de Venne (1590-1662). In these so called marriage lotteries, women are displayed as prizes, while male participants draw lots before an assembled crowd. The author, Tamar van Riessen, argues in the latest issue of Oud Holland that these works operate through multiple layers of satire and moral instruction.
The second article involves a detailed study of Rachel Ruysch’s exceptional use of a blue ground in her Still life with flowers in a glass vase (1742). The author, Kirsten Derks, focuses on why Ruysch employed a blue ground, how it functioned within the composition, and what artistic or material precedents may have informed her choice. The painting in question demonstrates a clear connection between drawing and painting practices and highlights Ruysch’s experimental approach in the final decade of her career.
This issue closes with four reviews. Emma de Jong and Jan de Jong discuss Ilja Veldman’s voluminous book on Maarten van Heemskerck, which appeared simultaneously with three exhibitions in Alkmaar and Haarlem. Weixuan Li dives into Jos Beerens’ Painters and communities in seventeenth-century Brussels, that is based on his PhD dissertation. Rachel Ruysch returns in Klara Alen’s close analyses of the pioneering book Rachel Ruysch: Nature into art, which was published in Boston in 2024. Finally, Lieske Tibbe provides a critical commentary on the most recent biography of Willem Witsen (1860-1923), which is based on his extensive correspondence.
A few days before this issue of Oud Holland was sent to press, the sad news arrived that Volker Manuth had passed away. Serving on the editorial board from 2002 to 2020, Volker invested no less than eighteen years of his esteemed career in the journal. Every submission could count on his profound interest and engagement, benefiting greatly from his sharp mind. He will be dearly missed.
Cover Oud Holland 2026-3, jaargang 139
Oud Holland – Journal for Art of the Low Countries 2026 nr. 3:
- Tamar van Riessen
Take a chance? Allegory and reality in Adriaen van de Venne’s marriage lotteries (c. 1650-1660) - Kirsten Derks
Out of the blue? An exploration of Rachel Ruysch’s (1664-1750) use of a blue ground - Emma C. de Jong & Jan L. de Jong
Review of Ilja M. Veldman, Maarten van Heemskerck: 1498-1574, Zwolle [W Books] 2024 - Weixuan Li
Review of Rudy Jos Beerens, Painters and communities in seventeenth-century Brussels: A social history of art, Leuven [Leuven University Press] 2024 - Klara Alen
Review of R. Schindler, B. Ebert, and A.C. Knaap (eds.), Rachel Ruysch: Nature into art, Boston [MFA Publications] 2024 - Lieske Tibbe
Review of Linda Modderkolk, Odilia Vermeulen and Ester Wouthuysen (eds.), Willem Witsen (1860-1923): Een kunstenaarsportret in brieven, Hilversum (Verloren) 2023
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