Gerard van Honthorst

At a young age, Gerard van Honthorst (1592-1656) left for Italy, where he made a name for himself as ‘Gherardo delle Notti’ for his night scenes. After his return, he devoted himself to painting portraits of Europe’s most influential families. His artistic legacy (often overshadowed by his contemporaries) is now on view in his hometown, with over 90 works.

As one of the few non-Italians, Honthorst received prestigious commissions for altarpieces and succeeded in attracting influential art collectors. After returning in 1620, he turned to lively genre scenes and musical companies. He perfected the pastoral genre and the portrait historié, and in the years that followed he increasingly dedicated himself to portraiture. The Centraal Museum presents around 60 paintings and about 30 drawings by Honthorst from museum and private collections in Europe and the United States, including the Musée du Louvre, the British Royal Collection, and the Galleria Borghese.

Cover image: Gerard van Honthorst, The Procuress, 1625 | © Collectie Centraal Museum Utrecht, photo: Adriaan van Dam