Jacobus Vrel remains an elusive figure in the annals of art history, as there is scarcely any definitive information about his life. Up to this point, there is no record of his birthdate, nor any specifics about his residence. His oeuvre does little to illuminate this mystery. Thus, it is notable that a dedicated research team from Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen in Munich, Fondation Custodia, Frits Lugt Collection in Paris, and the Mauritshuis in The Hague have taken the initiative to compile a catalogue raisonné and organize a special exhibition, given that only about 50 pieces of art have been attributed to Vrel.
Jacobus Vrel, Street Scene with Two Towers of a Church in the Background, private collection. In Jacobus Vrel: Searching for Clues to an Enigmatic Artist.
Origins
The earliest recording of the name “Jacob Frell” appears in a list of artworks belonging to Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Habsburg (1614–1662). He served as the Governor of the Southern Netherlands (1647–1656) and was a prominent art collector in the 17th century.
Archduke Leopold Wilhelm appointed the Flemish artist David Teniers the Younger (1610–1690) as the curator of his gallery to oversee this esteemed collection in Brussels. Shortly before his return to Vienna, Teniers prepared a catalogue that began with a Catalogus nominum pictorum, listing the artists represented in the collection. In this document, “Iacobus Frell” is mentioned, but no paintings by him are noted. Nonetheless, it was identified that Landscape with Two Men and a Woman Conversing and Interior with a Woman Sleeping by the Fireplace alongside Woman Leaning Out of an Open Window (1654) were part of the Archduke’s inventory.
Jacobus Vrel, Interior with a Woman Sleeping by the Fireplace, before 1656, The Leiden Collection, New York, NY, USA.
The French art critic Théophile Thoré (1807–1869), often referred to as Thoré-Bürger, played a pivotal role in elevating Jacobus Vrel out of obscurity. He owned no fewer than four paintings attributed to Vrel, yet initially classified them under Johannes Vermeer. In 1866, Thoré released a catalogue raisonné of Vermeer’s works, categorizing them by subject. Among these was An Old Woman Reading, which he included with the single-figure compositions. Interestingly, he noted that the collective group of cityscapes, domestic scenes, and alleyways predominantly consisted of Vrel’s work.
Jacobus Vrel, An Old Woman Reading, with a Boy Behind the Window, The Orsay Collection, Paris, France.
Art historian Wilhelm Valentiner, the former director of the Detroit Institute of Arts, suggested that the confusion surrounding Vrel’s work stems from the commonalities he shares with Vermeer regarding composition simplicity, a strange disregard for detail that is atypical in Dutch art.
In 1893, Dutch art scholar Cornelis Hofstede de Groot (1863–1930) embarked on an official investigation into Vrel. His dedicated article, published in 1915, was the first to focus purely on Vrel. He also included Church Interior and Woman Leaning Out of an Open Window in his findings. De Groot further speculated on Vrel’s geographical origins.
His technique is unquestionably Dutch; there is nothing in his pictorial treatment, his brushwork, his choice of color to hint at foreign influences. His chiaroscuro is Dutch and his taste for tonal painting […] equally so.
Jacobus Vrel, Interior of a Reformed Church During a Service, Steinfurt, Burgsteinfurt, Sammlung der Fürsten zu Bentheim, Münster, Germany.
Exploring Origins
De Groot’s quest in determining Vrel’s geographical origins began by examining various name variations: Frel, Frell, Frelle, Vriel, Vreel Verel, Varel, Verhel. Unfortunately, none yielded significant results.
Examining stylistic similarities alongside Vrel’s connections to the works of Johannes Vermeer, Esaias Boursse, and Gerard ter Borch pointed toward cities like Delft, Amsterdam, and Zwolle. Attempts were made to identify architectural elements such as signs, bakeries, crosses, and to ascertain whether the monks featured in two pieces could provide clues regarding Vrel’s habitual location. However, despite extensive research, the precise place of his residence remains elusive.
Jacobus Vrel, Street Scene with Two Towers of a Church in the Background, private collection. In Jacobus Vrel: Searching for Clues to an Enigmatic Artist.
Dating His Artwork
Jacobus Vrel, Woman Leaning Out of an Open Window, 1654, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria.
The work entitled Woman Leaning Out of an Open Window from 1654 in Vienna is the only piece by Vrel that has a specific date attached to it.
For the rest of his works, experts have conducted studies applying dendrochronology, a technique that evaluates the annual growth rings in trees to determine their age. This approach can yield a minimum date for a painting’s creation, as it identifies when the wood used was cut. Such findings provide opportunities to understand the timeline of Vrel’s artistic output.
The principle of cross dating in dendrochronology. University of Zurich.
Peter Klein, a researcher specializing in dendrochronology, found that Vrel predominantly favored Baltic oak panels for his work. Analyses conducted on various paintings in Antwerp, Oxford, and Washington indicated that the majority of Vrel’s paintings were created shortly after 1650. From a sample of 32 of Vrel’s artworks examined, it was discovered that 31 were made from wood sourced from the Polish or Baltic regions, while just one piece originated from western Germany or the Netherlands.
Signature Analysis
Of the known 50 artworks by Vrel, around two-thirds bear a signature. He typically designated his work with a monogram or sometimes his full name, with the first name always in a Latinized format, Jacubus, and often just using the initial “J”. Different variations of the last name have been recorded: “Vrel,” “Vrelle,” “Vreelle,” and “Vreel” or “Frel”. Notably, researchers have identified three distinct signature styles. In street scenes, he frequently used either a complete signature or a monogram, often found depicted on walls, stones, posts, or awnings.
Left: Jacobus Vrel, Houses by the Town Wall and Two Figures Walking Down the Street, Rose-Marie and Eijk de Mol van Otterloo Collection, part of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, USA; Right: Detail of first and last name abbreviated as the monogram ‘J V.’
In his interior settings, Vrel tended to inscribe his signature in dark lettering on a piece of parchment or paper depicted on the floor, making it quite noticeable. The placement of these paper strips is reminiscent of works from the Italian Renaissance era, akin to pieces by Vittore Carpaccio (1465–1525/26) in Venice.
Left: Jacobus Vrel, Interior with a Woman Combing a Girl’s Hair, and a Boy at a Dutch Door, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI, USA, Gift of M. Knoedler & Co.; Right: Detail of first and last name written out as “Jacobus Vrel” in Gothic type.
Preferred Themes
In terms of themes, Vrel was undeniably a trailblazer rather than a mere follower, introducing unique genres in urban landscapes and home interiors that gained increasing significance in art. His contributions included intimate and thought-provoking paintings capturing tranquil moments of daily life.
His works often delve into the lives of lower-middle-class families, showcasing activities such as tending to a fire, caring for the unwell, or nurturing children. The figures in his paintings frequently exhibit a quirky, introverted nature. Vrel’s interiors often encapsulate fleeting moments where female figures seem to engage in stillness.
Jacobus Vrel, Woman Seated in a Chair, by a Stool, The Leiden Collection, New York, NY, USA.
In Vrel’s artworks, the figures depicted often do not engage visually with the observer. Rather, they typically avert their gaze or reveal only a partial view of their face. This artistic choice channels the viewer’s focus towards the subjects of their attention, whether they are observing something beyond a window or door. In many instances, the specifics of what these individuals are looking at remain obscured, enhancing the sense of enigma surrounding the narrative. The overall message of his artworks may often be subtle and elusive.
Jacobus Vrel, An Old Man in His Study, The Orsay Collection, Paris, France.
Vrel’s cityscapes are remarkable for their rich use of earth tones and the contrasting play of light and shadow. With a higher horizon and architecture that fills the frame, the urban environments appear almost self-contained, reminiscent of a theatrical setting. Narrow streets, buildings aligned with the picture plane, and figures visible within windows are defining characteristics of his urban depictions.
Jacobus Vrel, Street Corner with a Bakery and a Draper’s Shop, private collection. In Jacobus Vrel: Searching for Clues to an Enigmatic Artist.
Among his renowned yet enigmatic pieces lies A Seated Woman Looking at a Child Through a Window, currently held in Paris.
Jacobus Vrel, A Seated Woman Looking at a Child Through a Window, Fondation Custodia, Frits Lugt Collection, Paris, France.
Karin Leonard eloquently captures the ambiance of this piece, noting:
“The interaction between the woman and the child may suggest a casual acknowledgment, yet this juxtaposition is rather improbable. The disparity between the well-lit space occupied by the woman and the shadowy area where the child barely emerges creates a division between two realms. Their connection teeters on the brink, akin to the fragile chair which appears barely capable of supporting the woman’s weight. The precariousness of the chair, much like the scenario, introduces an element of disquiet to an otherwise mundane context, countered by the gentle touch of the woman’s hand on the glass.”
“Vrel exhibits a meticulous eye for detail, showcasing multiple cracks and repairs on the window pane, with one fracture juxtaposed against the child’s partially concealed form adding a striking contrast to the prominently dressed woman, whose posture echoes the forward inclination seen previously in the Brussels piece. Once more, a crumpled paper lies on the floor within a meticulously arranged space, the only disruption being a nail protruding from the wall above. The window grid highlights the structured geometry of the setting, yet is interrupted in one corner by a harsh light that seems to come from an unknown source.”—K. Leonard. “Rooms Without Keys. Jacobus Vrel and Modernity.” In: Jacobus Vrel: Searching for Clues to an Enigmatic Artist. Hirmer, Munich, 2021, pp. 113–125.
Acknowledgment
Despite the rising appreciation for Vrel’s artwork, he had notably lacked a dedicated exhibition until recently. This changed in 2023 with the unveiling of a postponed exhibition due to COVID-19, which originally scheduled for 2020-2021, at the Mauritshuis in The Hague and subsequently at the Fondation Custodia in Paris later that same year. This display united significant works of Vrel from various museums and private collections, enriching the understanding of this enigmatic artist.
Bibliography
Ed. B. Ebert, C. Tainturier, Q. Buvelot. Jacobus Vrel: Searching for Clues to an Enigmatic Artist. Catalogue Raisonné. Munich 2021.
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