Getty Museum
Standing Ruff
Creator
Gerardus van VeenDutch Artist · 1620–1683
All works by this person →Drawings by Gerardus van Veen are rare, and little is known about the artist himself. His father was recorded in Haarlem in 1626 but had moved away by 1628, probably to Beverwijk a few miles north. Both van Veen and his brother were natural history draftsmen; many more of his brother's drawings exist today. The brothers practiced the same highly finished, meticulous style, but their authorship can
More on Getty ULAN- Date
- 1677
- Medium
- Pen and brown ink, watercolor, and gouache over black chalk
- Culture
- Dutch
- Department
- Drawings
- Institution
- Getty Museum
The delicate patterns of the feathers on this ruff, a species of sandpiper ( *Philomachus pugnax* ), fascinated Gerardus van Veen. He chose a static, rather flat, profile view to set off the shape and texture of the bird's plumage, which he drew exquisitely with the point of a brush. When shown from the side, the bird's plumed ruff, protruding from its breast, appears more pronounced and the long, narrow beak is more noticeable. Van Veen produced the delicate tonal effect of the feathers by building up layers of watercolor and bodycolor over black chalk. His sure, light touch is particularly evident in the bird's white "petticoats." Scholars believe Van Veen produced this study for a wealthy naturalist such as Agnes Block, who probably commissioned other bird studies from him. He specialized in producing refined natural history illustrations in watercolors for rich clients, many of whom owned country houses outside Amsterdam.
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