Willem Van Haecht to Kunstkamer to Pannini
I need some help from any art connoisseurs or historians.
Twelve years ago I was in the Louvre and saw a few paintings. Paintings full of paintings.It was one of those moments where you tell yourself, “Okay. I’m going to remember this artists name. I’m going to remember. I’m going to remember.”
Then I forgot it by the time I left the museum. I couldn’t sleep last night and something flipped a switch and I decided I was going to figure this out. That’s what I’ve been doing this morning with a documentary about honey badgers on TV in the background.
After lots of googling, I still don’t think I’ve got it — and I don’t really care if I find the actual artist’s works in question — but I’ve found what I needed to find.
“Gallery of the Louvre” by Morse
After flailing around I stumbled across this. http://www.npr.org/2011/07/03/137472386/the-best-of-the-louvre-on-a-single-canvas
http://www.npr.org/assets/img/2011/06/28/painting_archive.jpg (It’s a big file so might take a while to download.)
And that is guy-who-gave-us-the-telegraph Samuel Morse, in case you were wondering. Actually, the first article I read was an art historian critique. Critics rub me the wrong way but hey. Whatever.
“The Gallery of Cornelis van der Geest”, Willem Van Haecht
Looking through the image search results I saw something similar to what I saw all those years ago. That eventually led to this.
That’s more like it. And that led to a Dutch wikipedia page and the term “kunstkamer”. I don’t know what that means. Art room, I think.
Giovanni Paolo Pannini
I think it was Pannini. Holy crap. It’s like a little part of my brain has been holding its breath for twelve years and can finally breathe in.
Finally. Now. Where can I see these in real life?
Missile Mill: Painting & Photography 
4 Responses to “Willem Van Haecht to Kunstkamer to Pannini”
Not sure sure where you can see them in real life but they are also sometimes called “kunstkamer” paintings. They originated in the Netherlands circa 1610 ish. That might help you find more
Thank you! I’ll find them somewhere. Im not far from Washington, DC. With all the museums around here there have to be a few in someone’s collection.
You’ll find the one by Panini in the Wadsworth Museum of Art. Willem van Haecht painted many of them. The one you posted, is in the collection of the Mauritshuis and hangs in Prince William V Gallery in The Hague. They also have one by Gonzalez Coques.
Thank you! That’s good info. Much appreciated.