Art-historical thematic research collections: from theory to practice. Case study: Paintings of the interior of the Oude Kerk in delft

Abstract

This thesis explores a thematic collection of architectural paintings of the Oude Kerk in Delft that belong to a unique genre of architectural paintings that flourished in the Dutch Republic around the middle of the seventeenth-century. This body of work aims to challenge the common hypothesis that the perspective, and what follows, the proportions and composition of the paintings, was distorted. The presence of distortions is undeniable, although, there is a lack of comprehensive and detailed examination of all the known paintings of the Oude Kerk in Delft. It is the first time that the collection of over eighty paintings representing the same space is examined as a whole. Additionally, as an unprecedented working collection on the theme, it creates a new digital research environment to use for further study of the Oude Kerk in Delft and paintings of other church interiors in the 17th century Dutch art. This environment is the thesis?s practice-based component, the art-historical thematic research collection, which acts as a platform for the research undertaken in this study as well as a platform for dissemination and further development.