Mauritshuis receives Portrait of Van Kretschmar by Perronneau
(Artdaily.org)

Last year the Mauritshuis received a generous gift from Jonkheer F.G.L.O. van Kretschmar: a magnificent pastel portrait by the French artist Jean-Baptiste Perronneau (c. 1715-1783), 1754. The portrait shows Jacob van Kretschmar of The Hague, the donor’s ancestor. The pastel, which had remained in the family, is a superb example of Perronneau’s work. Pastels are extremely sensitive to light, and so cannot be on permanent display, but from today the new acquisition will be exhibited for several months in Room 13. Emilie Gordenker, Mauritshuis Director: ‘We are deeply grateful to Jonkheer van Kretschmar. The Mauritshuis has a small, but fine collection of eighteenth-century pictures – in particular pastels - and this acquisition enhances our holdings in this area significantly.’ The eighteenth century in the Netherlands is often described in art historical literature as the century of