Jan van der Heyden, An architectural fantasy with an triumph arch, oil on panel, ca. 1660-1663. The National Gallery, London

AMSTERDAM.- The Rijksmuseum presents the first monographic exhibition on Jan van der Heyden in the Netherlands since 1937. Van der Heyden was one of the leading 17th-century painters of Dutch cityscapes. He was also fascinated by firefighting and is still remembered to this day by many as the inventor of the fire hose. The Rijksmuseum exhibition focuses on the diversity of Van der Heyden, who became known as the Dutch Leonardo da Vinci. The first part features a selection of fourteen of his finest paintings, on loan from various museums and private collections in Europe and the United States. The second part concentrates on his dramatic sketches and prints of fires in the city. In addition, his famous book on firefighting, published in 1690, is displayed, alongside an early example of his fire hose. The show, compiled jointly with the Bruce Museum in Greenwich (Conn., US), can be seen through 30 April 2007 in the Philips Wing of the Rijksmuseum. (lire la suite http://www.artdaily.com/section/news/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=19663)