GOEREE, Willem, Anweisung zu der Practic oder Handlung der allgemeinen Mahler-Kunst worinnen nebenst derselben Fürtrefligkeit und Nutzen kürßlich an gezeiget wird, was einer zum gründlichen Verstand der Mahler-Kunst wissen muß, und wie man seine Ubung darinnen ein vollkommener Meister zu werden anstellen soll. Anfangs in Holländischer Sprache an den Tag gegeben Durch Wilhelm Goeree. Und nunmehr ins Hochteutsche überseßet Von Johann Langen, trad. par LANGE, Johann, Hamburg, Johann Naumann und Georg Wolffen, 1678.

Universitäts Bibliothek Heidelberg Heidelberg 92 A 1500 RES

Willem Goeree (Middelburg 1635 – Amsterdam 1711) was the son of the prominent physician and theologian Hugo Willem Goeree. In 1665 he married Elisabeth Janssonius van Waesberge, daughter of the important Amsterdam publisher Johannes Janssonius van Waesberge. At the time of his marriage, he was a bookseller and initially his Middelburg bookshop functioned as a branch of his father-in-law’s publishing house. Amongst their collaborative publications we find a re-edition of Franciscus Junius’ Schilderkunst der Ouden (Begin, heerlijcke voortgangh. en grootdadigh vermogen der wijdberoemde schilderkonst der antycken, 1675). After his marriage, Willem Goeree started to publish books himself. In 1680, the couple moved to Amsterdam and Goeree collaborated more closely with his father-in-law. However, in 1681 Johannes Janssonius van Waesberge died, as did Goeree’s wife in 1683 and the relationship with his brothers-in-law soon grew bad and all collaboration ended. Willem Goeree’s son Jan (1670-1731) studied with Gerard de Lairesse and became a draughtsman and engraver. He produced many illustrations and frontispieces for books. His other two sons Willem and David continued the Goeree publishing house after their father’s death until 1732.[1]
As an author, Goeree published on art and (the history of) religion. In 1668, he published Verlichterie-kunde of recht gebruyck der water-verwen. The book was bounded in the same volume as the Inleydinge tot de Al-ghemeene Teycken-Konst, also written by Goeree. In 1670, the Inleydingh tot de practijck der al-gemeene Schilder-Konst followed. Willem Goeree had the intention to write a six-volume magnum opus on the Art of Painting. In the preface to the reader in the Inleydingh tot de practijck der al-gemeene Schilder-konst of 1670, he writes that, apart from the volumes on Drawing and Painting, this book – which he calls “onse geheele Schilderkonst” – would consist of books on Perspective, Anatomy, Architecture, Composition and Invention (“Ordineeringh and Inventeeringh”) and Light and Colour (“…de kracht en Eygenschap der schaduwen, dagen, reflexien en houdinge en wat verder in ‘t coloreeren waer te nemen state, door Wiskundige figueren te betoogen”) and was intended to assist and improve artistic instruction. The Verlichterie-kunde was not part of this series. Only two of the envisioned other volumes were published: one on Architecture (d’Algemeene Bouwkunde volgens d’Antyke en Hedendaagse Manier, 1681) and the other on Anatomy (Natuurlyk en Schilderkonstig Ontwerp der Menschkunde, 1682). Goeree stated in the latter that he had written the volume on composition, but it was never published.

The Inleydingh tot de practijck der al-gemeene Schilder-konst was first published in 1670 in Middelburg. It was reprinted three times (1697, 1704, 1770) and translated into German by Johann Langen within a few years of its publication, in 1678 (reprinted in 1723, 1744, 1750, 1756).
On the title page of the edition princeps, Goeree describes the book as a precursor to his magnum opus (described above). Faithful to this intention, the book contains information on a wide range of subjects related to the Art of Painting: reflections on the role of guilds and government in art and the economic side of art (first chapter), the imitation of nature, the paragone between Painting and Sculpture and the use and function of art (chapter two), talent and necessary knowledge for a painter (chapter three), the imitation of the work by other artists and imagination (chapter four), instruction (chapter five), the role of copying and importance of a good judgement (chapter six) and the artistic career path (chapter seven). Goeree establishes himself as a well-read and versatile author.

Marije Osnabrugge

[1] For more information on Goeree’s life and work as a publisher, see: KWAKKELSTEIN, 1998.

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Vorrede at

GOEREE, Willem, Inleydingh Tot de Praktijck Der Al-gemeene Schilder-Konst, Waer in, Neffens de Heerlijckheyt en Nuttigheydt der selve, kortelijck wert aengewesen: wat dingen tot grondige verstaeningh der Schilder-Konst behoorde geweten te zijn; en op wat wijse men sijn Oeffeningh, om daer in een volkomen Meester te werden, behoorlijck aenleggen sal. Dienende tot een Voorlooper van een ander Werck, daer in de Practijck-Regelen der Schilder-Konst, bestaende in Teycken-kunde, Bouw-kunde, Doorsicht-kunde, Mensch-kunde, Ordineringh en Coloreeringh, vokomen sal geleert werden, Middelburg, Wilhelmus Goeree, 1670.

DE VRIES, Lyckle, Gerard de Lairesse: An Artist between Stage and Studio, Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Press, 1998.

VAN DE LINDT, Adriana, « Willem Goeree (1635-1711) : un amateur entre art et Lumières radicales », dans HECK, Michèle-Caroline (éd.), L’histoire de l’histoire de l’art septentrional au XVIIe siècle, Actes des journées d’études de Lille et Bruxelles, Turnhout, Brepols, 2009, p. 155-186.

VAN DE LINDT, Adriana, « Un amateur de Nicolas Poussin aux Provinces-Unies : Willem Goeree (1635 - 1711) », dans MAËS, Gaëtane et BLANC, Jan (éd.), Les échanges artistiques entre les anciens Pays-Bas et la France, 1482 - 1814, Actes du colloque de Lille, Turnhout, Brepols, 2010, p. 331-341.

VAN DE ROEMER, Gijsbert M., « Regulating the arts. Willem Goeree versus Samuel van Hooogstraten », Netherlands Yearbook for History of Art, 61/1, 2011, p. 184-207.

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