At the Fondation Custodia, an ideal world in a drawing board
DECRYPTION – This high place of the arts in Paris presents eighty sheets of the Dutch 18th century. Either the best of a collection reflecting the taste in the Netherlands after their Golden Age. Between nostalgia for grandeur and international classicism.
Although thedutch golden age was over (in 1672, by Turenne and Condé, Louis XIV broke up the ultra-dynamic republic of the seven United Provinces), in the 18e century, the patrician residences of Delft, ofamsterdam or The Hague were always saturated with works of art.
Paintings occupied the walls. It has been calculated that five million paintings could have been produced in these Independent Netherlands during their maritime supremacy. So much so that the Dutch began to buy drawings in preference.
The sheets were arranged in albums in large boxes. It was more practical for those comfortable but cramped rooms. In peaceful moments, one took out of these miniature cabinets these samples of a life that was both realistic and ideal. It was a hobby, a passion. In front of these black stones, these inks, watercolored sheets or not, we chatted with family or friends. For the less well-to-do, these evenings took place in front of engravings.
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Extracts from the collection of the Museums…
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