The Centraal Museum presents the first major retrospective exhibition devoted to Gerard van Honthorst (1592–1656). This Utrecht painter—a contemporary of Rembrandt—traveled to Italy at a young age and established a reputation in Rome for his night scenes, earning him the nickname “Gherardo delle Notti.”

Honthorst was one of the few non-Italians to receive prestigious commissions for altarpieces and successfully engaged influential art collectors. After his return in 1620, he focused on lively genre pieces and musical companies. He perfected the pastoral genre and the portrait historié, subsequently dedicating himself increasingly to portraiture. Possessing a unique understanding of his patrons’ expectations, he adapted his style almost intuitively. This approach secured him significant commissions from royal and noble families throughout Europe. Honthorst is counted among the most successful artists in the vibrant artistic climate of the seventeenth century, an era defined by the flourishing Dutch School of Rembrandt, Frans Hals, and Johannes Vermeer. Although he was more successful than these peers during his own lifetime, he is today often overshadowed by his famous contemporaries.

In Utrecht, the city where he was born, married, and died, Honthorst is finally receiving a dedicated platform. The Centraal Museum is displaying approximately 60 paintings and 30 drawings from museum and private collections in Europe and the United States, including loans from the Musée du Louvre, the British Royal Collection, and the Galleria Borghese.

 

Curators Stipend

This project was supported by a Curators Stipend funded by the Friends of CODART Foundation, granted through the Cultuurfonds. This allowed the museum to appoint a junior curator for six months, in support of the senior curator and the project in general. Curators Liesbeth Helmus and Iris Blokker were interviewed about their collaboration and research for CODARTfeatures in November 2024. Read the full interview on CODARTfeatures.