In the Light of Cuyp

The story of Dordrecht’s greatest painter is unique. Cuyp was very much a local artist in his day, virtually unknown beyond his hometown. He lived and worked his entire life in Dordrecht and the buyers of his landscapes came almost exclusively from his birthplace. It was only after his death that he was discovered by English collectors and artists. From around 1750 there was a veritable Cuyp mania in England. The British aristocracy were so captivated by Cuyp’s sun-drenched landscapes that by around 1800 there were no longer any important works by the Dutch master to be found in the Netherlands. A Cuyp was a must-have in the great English country house.

In the Light of Cuyp will present many works by British artists including Richard Wilson, Thomas Gainsborough, John Constable, J.M.W. Turner, Richard Parkes Bonington, Augustus Wall Callcott and John Crome that have never before been shown in the Netherlands. Two masterpieces by Cuyp from the British Royal Collection Trust have been generously lent by Her Majesty The Queen. Three landscapes by Cuyp from Woburn Abbey that have never before been on display in the Netherlands will also be returning to the city where they were made.

Other confirmed loans include paintings by Cuyp and his British followers from the National Gallery in London, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Tate Britain, the National Trust, Kenwood House, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest, the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum in Cologne and the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin.

Audio guide

There's a free English audio guide available that explores the highlights of the exhibition In the Light of Cuyp.

Art Review

Redrawing the landscape, by Roderick Conway Morris (first published: The Lady)