Items Similar to An interior of a Gothic cathedral with figures

Hendrick Corneliszoon van Vliet (Delft, 1612 – Delft, 1675) - Interior Church Landscape Van Vliet Paint 17th Century Oil on canvas Old master

Interior Oil Painting

Italian Painter of 1700 "Capriccio with classical ruins and figures"

18th Century, Painting Architectural Capriccio, att. to Isaac De Moucheron

Unknown - Painted Architectural Capriccio with Figures 18th 18th Century

Superb Renaissance Italian Scenic Painting "Gallery with a view of ancient Rome"

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 6

Bartholomeus van Bassen
An interior of a Gothic cathedral with figures

$40,488.44

£29,500

€35,093

CA$56,972.59

A$57,439.38

CHF 32,706.69

MX$698,199.75

NOK 386,086.68

SEK 384,978.30

DKK 262,316.01

About the Item

Bartholomeus van Bassen (The Hague 1590-1652) An interior of a Gothic cathedral with figures signed and dated 'B v Bassen / 1650' (on pillar, lower right) Oil on panel Painting size - 17 7/8 x 24 1/4 in Framed size - 25 x 31 1/2 in Provenance Sale, Galerie Fischer, Lucerne, 27-28 August 1929, lot 28 Sale, Sotheby's, London, 17 February 1982, lot 88 Sale, Hôtel President, Geneva, 18 May 1986 (with figures by another hand) Private Collection, Switzerland Sale, Hapsburg, Feldman, S.A., Geneva, 18 June 1989, lot 50, where acquired by the present owner Private collection, Malibu, California Literature B.G. Maillet, Intérieurs d'églises 1580–1720. La peinture architecturale des écoles du nord, Brussels 2012, p. 213, cat. no. M-0212, ill. Bartholomeus van Bassen was a Dutch Golden Age painter, architect, and designer celebrated for his refined architectural interiors and imaginative depictions of churches, palaces, and Renaissance halls. Active during the early seventeenth century, he played an important role in the development of architectural painting in the Netherlands, combining precise perspective with an elegant sense of light and space. Born in The Hague in 1590, van Bassen emerged during a period of extraordinary artistic innovation in the Dutch Republic. Little is known of his early training, though it is believed he studied within the flourishing artistic circles of The Hague and Delft, where architectural painting was becoming increasingly popular. His work reflects both the influence of Netherlandish perspective traditions and the growing interest in classical architecture inspired by Italian Renaissance design. Van Bassen became a member of the Guild of Saint Luke in The Hague in 1613 and quickly established himself as both a painter and architect. Unlike many artists who focused solely on easel painting, he maintained a dual career in architecture and civic design. This practical architectural experience gave his paintings an unusual degree of structural credibility and sophistication. His painted interiors are characterised by soaring vaulted ceilings, grand colonnades, checkerboard floors, and carefully controlled perspective lines that draw the viewer deep into the composition. Although many scenes appear realistic, van Bassen often created imaginary or idealised interiors rather than exact representations of existing buildings. These works blended fantasy with architectural precision, producing scenes of remarkable harmony and theatricality. Van Bassen is particularly associated with church interiors, a genre that became highly popular in the Dutch Republic during the seventeenth century. His paintings frequently depict elegantly dressed figures conversing within immense sacred spaces flooded with soft daylight. The balance between architectural order and human activity gives his works both monumentality and intimacy. In several paintings, the staffage figures were executed by collaborating artists, including specialists in portraiture and genre scenes, a common practice among Dutch painters of the period. As an architect, van Bassen held several official appointments. He served as city architect of The Hague and was involved in military and civic building projects. He also worked as surveyor and architect for the Princes of Orange, contributing designs and decorative schemes connected with courtly architecture. Though relatively few of his architectural works survive intact, his reputation during his lifetime rested equally upon his abilities as a designer and painter. Van Bassen’s paintings reveal the broader cultural ambitions of the Dutch Republic during its Golden Age. His interiors celebrate order, learning, prosperity, and the grandeur of civic and religious architecture. Stylistically, his work helped pave the way for later Dutch architectural painters such as Pieter Saenredam, Gerard Houckgeest, and Emanuel de Witte, though van Bassen’s compositions tend to be more ornate and imaginative than the austere realism favoured by some of his successors. Today, his works are held in numerous museum collections across Europe and North America, including major Dutch and international institutions. Collectors and historians continue to value his paintings for their mastery of perspective, luminous atmosphere, and insight into seventeenth-century architectural taste. Bartholomeus van Bassen died in The Hague in 1652. He remains one of the pioneering figures of Dutch architectural painting, admired for his ability to transform built space into scenes of elegance, harmony, and quiet grandeur.

Creator:
Bartholomeus van Bassen (1590 - 1637, Dutch)
Dimensions:
Height: 25 in (63.5 cm)Width: 31.5 in (80.01 cm)
Medium:
Oil
Movement & Style:
Old Masters
Period:
17th Century
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Stoke, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU446318074492

More From This Seller

View All

Charles Francois Lacroix de MarseillesA classical view of a Mediterranean port

A classical view of a Mediterranean port

Located in Stoke, Hampshire

Circle of Charles-François Lacroix de Marseilles (c. 1700-1782) A mediterranean port Oil on canvas Canvas size - 26 3/4 x 34 1/4 in Framed size - 34 x 40 in Provenance With Norman A...

Category

18th Century Old Masters Landscape Paintings

Materials

Oil

Gerrit Adriaensz BerckheydeCourtyard scene with elegant ladies and horsemen gathered beside a large fountai

Courtyard scene with elegant ladies and horsemen gathered beside a large fountai

Located in Stoke, Hampshire

Attributed to Gerrit Adriaensz Berckheyde (1638-1698) Courtyard scene with elegant ladies and horsemen gathered beside a large fountain Oil on panel Painting size - 17 3/8 x 23 5/8 i...

Category

17th Century Old Masters Landscape Paintings

Materials

Oil

Francis BarlowA pair of paintings depicting animals in classical landscapes

A pair of paintings depicting animals in classical landscapes

Located in Casale Monferrato, IT

We are pleased to present this splendid oil painting on plywood panel, dating back to the late 19th century. This magnificent painting depicts a view of Worms Cathedral in Germany. ...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Paintings

Materials

Plywood

Bartholomeus van BassenAn interior of a Gothic cathedral with figures

About the Item

More From This Seller

18th Century Old Masters Landscape Paintings

17th Century Old Masters Landscape Paintings

17th Century Old Masters Animal Paintings

18th Century Old Masters Landscape Paintings

16th Century Old Masters Figurative Paintings

18th Century Victorian Landscape Paintings

You May Also Like

Antique 17th Century Dutch Baroque Paintings

18th Century Other Art Style Interior Paintings

17th Century Old Masters Interior Paintings

19th Century Other Art Style Figurative Paintings

1940s Academic Interior Paintings

Antique Late 19th Century Paintings

Bartholomeus van Bassen
An interior of a Gothic cathedral with figures