BURCH, Hendrick van der

(b. 1627 Naaldwijk, d. ~1666 Leiden)

Hendrick van der Burch (also Burgh), Dutch painter. One of his sisters seems to have been Jannetje van der Burch, the wife of Pieter de Hooch, whose genre scenes of guardrooms, domestic interiors and courtyards closely resemble those of van der Burch. Van der Burch was living in Delft by 1642 and joined the Guild of St Luke in 1649. He cosigned documents with de Hooch in 1652, 1654 and 1655. Probably in imitation of de Hooch, van der Burch developed an interest in the expressive use of highly ordered, geometric space and sophisticated lighting effects, often employing a view to an adjoining space through a doorway or window. However, his command of perspective was never so certain and his lighting effects rarely so subtle as de Hooch’s.

Van der Burch moved to Leiden in 1655 and acquired a house opposite the university; one of his rare signed paintings depicts a Graduation Procession at the University of Leiden (Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum). He had moved to Amsterdam by May 1659 but in the 1660s is recorded in both Leiden and Delft. His last child was baptized in Leiden in 1666. Besides his genre scenes, he painted at least one group portrait and a river scene; a Susanna by van der Burch appeared in an inventory of 1703.

Dutch Interior

Vermeer’s elusive, oblique arts are found in this canvas ascribed to Hendrick van der Burch, who was also active in mid-seventeenth-century Delft. As with several canvases by Vermeer, this image is distinguished by its absence of overtly mattering subject. An ermine-trimmed satin jacket has been tossed over a chair, and precious slippers rest below; both are seen under an opulent still-life in a richly carved and gilded frame. None of these wealthy props are congruent with their more modest domestic settings.

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Merry Company at a Table

The influence of Pieter de Hooch can be seen in this painting.

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Woman with a Child Blowing Bubbles in a Garden

Van den Burch painting is heavily dependent on that of other Delft artists, especially Pieter de Hooch’s. About the late 1650s he began to paint outdoor scenes which are unthinkable without the inspiration of De Hooch’s courtyards. This debt is obvious in this picture showing a sunny garden with fenced-in flower beds in the back of a private house. The garden is enclosed by a high wall, which runs parallel to the picture plane. A doorway in the wall allows a glimpse beyond.

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