Secrets and Silence

the invitation

Vermeer
Dou
Dou
Vermeer

the threshold

Bisschop
Ochterveld
de Hooch
Vrel
van Brekelenkam
van Hoogstraten
van der Neer
ter Borch
ter Borch
ter Borch
Vermeer
Schalken
Steen
Vermeer
Maes
Steen

the sanctum

Vrel
de Man
Boursse
Vrel
van Brekelenkam
de Hooch
Maes
ter Borch
de Hooch
Maes
ter Borch
Boursse

these thirty-two paintings
take you into the heart of
Dutch domesticity in the
Golden Years of the 17th century

the only men depicted are the odd
fish-pedlar, music master, lover
and wrinkled retainer;
half a dozen interlopers
into this world of women;
women depicted in admirable detail
carrying out the endless female tasks
necessary for the smooth running
of the household of a well-to-do
merchant;
peeling, sweeping, shopping, cleaning,
cooking, washing, mending, spinning;

there are many visual clues scattered around;
bunches of keys, skulls twined with vines, lutes
and birdcages which would unlock the
meaning of the scene to the contemporary viewer,
but for us the meaning is opaque;

we cannot penetrate beyond the voorhuis

of the quaint surface image

to the interior achterhuis;

the artist tantalizes us with

hints and leaves us in a liminal limbo

you have only two days left before
this congeries of Old Masters
is scattered whence it came
back to galleries across Europe
and America
so if you wish to admire the
demure Dutch ladies painted by

Jan
Quiringh
Eglon
Gerhard
Cornelis
Esaias
Pieter
& co

you need to get your skates
on