Dutch Art: The Photorealism of Jan van ‘t Hoff

Frans Dingemans, of VFD Architects in Utrecht, selected most of the art and antiques in the Eurodam collection. Here, he explains why he chose Jan van ‘t Hoff’s work:

“At first sight, the works of Dutch painter Jan van ‘t Hoff look like professionally made photographs,” said Dingemans. “By the use of a dark background, the eye is immediately attracted by the fruits and flowers, which are beautifully lighted. But when close attention is paid, fine brushstrokes will give away the realistic illusion. These wonderful paintings testify to a great skill earned by years of practice, which stands in the tradition of centuries-old Dutch still-life painting.”

Van ‘t Hoff explains his approach to his art this way:

“My nature still lifes have a light foreground and a dark background,” he wrote for the Dee Twee Pauwen Gallery in The Hague, Netherlands. “With this abstracting from the surroundings, attention is focused on the interaction of light and shadow.

“The abstract surfaces in a painting have the same function as white paper for a poem,” van ‘t Hoff continued. “Thus a specific image-poetry develops. By connecting the subject matter only loosely to its natural surroundings, room is created for new meanings.”