Pieter Codde

Key facts

Lived

1599–1678, Dutch

Movement

• Baroque

Works held in

33 museums^[1]

• Landscape with a Lake and Castle

  Beecroft Art Gallery

  Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom

  1 works

  Museum detailsMap

Plan your visit to see Pieter Codde →

• What is Pieter Codde known for?+

  Pieter Codde is known for his small-scale genre scenes, guardroom subjects and portraits in silvery-grey tonalities. He is also known for his "merry company" scenes of elegant young people drinking and making music.
• What should I know about Pieter Codde's prints?+

  Pieter Codde (1599-1678) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, known for small-scale genre works and portraits. He spent his entire career in Amsterdam. Codde's paintings often depict scenes of daily life, with an emphasis on interior settings and interactions between figures. While Codde is primarily known as a painter, prints were made after some of his compositions. These prints offer a way to experience his work in a different medium. It is important to note that Codde himself was not a printmaker. The prints available would have been produced by other artists, who translated his paintings into etched or engraved images. Prints after Codde's paintings would have circulated among a wider audience, increasing his recognition. These prints are not direct reproductions. Printmakers often introduced slight variations or interpretations of the original paintings. When considering a print after Codde, examine its provenance and condition. Check which printmaker created it, and compare it to the original painting, if known. This will give you a better understanding of its historical context and artistic value.
• What style or movement did Pieter Codde belong to?+

  Pieter Codde (1599-1678) was a Dutch painter who worked during the Baroque era, a period that began in Italy shortly before 1600 and spread through Europe. However, the Baroque style was resisted in Protestant countries, such as Holland, for as long as possible. The Baroque art that did develop in northern Europe tended to emphasise realism in daily life, moving away from the emotional impact preferred by Catholic countries. Alongside the Baroque, a classical movement grew, finding its particular home in France. There was also a third style: Realism, associated with such artists as Caravaggio and many Dutch painters. All three styles continued, with modifications, into the 18th century. The Baroque style is associated with drama and strong tonal contrasts. It evolved as the Roman Catholic Church made a stand against cultural movements that produced new religious ideas. The new art was intended to be visually and emotionally appealing, to focus clearly on Catholic doctrine in order to influence and educate.
• What techniques or materials did Pieter Codde use?+

  Pieter Codde (1599-1678) was a Dutch Golden Age painter known for genre scenes and portraits. He worked primarily in oil paint on canvas and panel. Codde's technique involved careful observation and detailed rendering of his subjects. His brushwork is characterised by smooth surfaces, with attention paid to fabrics and textures. He often depicted interior scenes with figures engaged in everyday activities, such as music-making, conversation, or games. Codde's colour palettes tend to be muted, dominated by browns, greys, and blacks, with occasional touches of brighter colours to draw attention to specific details. His paintings often feature a sense of intimacy and quietude. Codde's skill in capturing the effects of light and shadow contributed to the overall atmosphere of his works. He sometimes collaborated with other artists, such as Peter Lely and Jan Miense Molenaer, who added figures to his architectural settings. Codde's artistic approach reflects the broader trends in Dutch painting during the 17th century, which emphasised realism and naturalism.
• What was Pieter Codde known for?+

  Pieter Codde, a Dutch artist born in 1599 in Amsterdam, is known for genre paintings and portraits. He captured scenes of daily life, often featuring small groups of figures in interior settings. Codde's style has qualities of the Baroque, which succeeded Mannerism around 1600. The Baroque infused emotion and drama with tonal contrasts. It began in Italy, then spread through Europe. The Baroque in Northern Europe tended to emphasise realism in daily life. Codde received artistic training from Frans Hals. His paintings often depict soldiers, musicians, and social gatherings. He had a talent for capturing the textures of fabrics and the details of everyday objects. Codde died in 1678 in Amsterdam.
• When did Pieter Codde live and work?+

  Pieter Codde was born in Amsterdam in 1599 and died there in 1678. He was part of a family of artists; his father, Marten Codde, was a painter and art dealer. Codde spent his entire career in Amsterdam, where he became a member of the Guild of Saint Luke in 1628. He is mainly known for small-scale genre paintings, often depicting scenes of daily life, such as merry companies and guardroom scenes. He also produced portraits and some religious works. Codde's style is characterised by its attention to detail and careful rendering of fabrics and textures. He was influenced by earlier Dutch painters, such as Dirck Hals and Willem Buytewech. He, in turn, influenced later artists; for example, Pieter Quast. Codde collaborated with other artists, including Isaack Elias, who added figures to Codde's architectural settings.
• Where can I see Pieter Codde's work?+

  Pieter Codde's paintings can be found in various museum collections. Examples are held at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; the Mauritshuis, The Hague; and the Museum Bredius, The Hague. Other locations include the Hamburger Kunsthalle; the Sinebrychoff Art Museum, Helsinki; and the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Kassel. Examples are also held at The Hermitage Museum, Leningrad; the Nivaagaards Malerisamlingen, Denmark; and the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. In France, Codde's work can be viewed at the Bibliothèque Nationale, the Musée Jacquemart-André, and the Musée du Louvre, all in Paris, and the Musée de Rennes. Other international locations include the Narodni Galerie, Prague; the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore; and the Staatliche Museen, Berlin. It is worth noting that around half of the 400 paintings attributed to Codde are copies, some of which have been misattributed as originals. These copies were a significant part of the 17th-century Dutch art market.
• Where was Pieter Codde from?+

  Pieter Codde was born in Amsterdam around 1599. He spent his entire life in that city, working there until his death in 1678. Amsterdam was a major centre for art and commerce during Codde's lifetime. The city's economic prosperity allowed a large middle class to develop, and this class became an important source of patronage for artists. Amsterdam was also a centre for intellectual and religious freedom, which attracted people from all over Europe. Codde's paintings often depict scenes of daily life in Amsterdam, such as people playing music, dancing, or simply talking. He also painted portraits of wealthy citizens. His work provides a valuable insight into the social and cultural life of Amsterdam during the 17th century.
• Who did Pieter Codde influence?+

  Pieter Codde worked in Amsterdam. He is known for his skill with a brush, the lively character of his figures, and genre paintings. Codde's paintings often depicted dance-mad music companies or guardroom scenes, such as his *Preparation for a Carnival*. Codde's paintings lacked the humour of Adriaen van Ostade and Jan Steen. Ostade was a pupil of Frans Hals. Hals's younger brother Dirk also painted scenes of everyday life. Dirk Hals painted merry companies eating, dancing, listening to music, or playing cards. Examples of his work include *Amusing Party in the Open Air* (1621) and *In Merry Company* (1640). Some of Dirk Hals's sons also achieved success with similar social scenes.
• Who influenced Pieter Codde?+

  Pieter Codde (1599-1678) was an Amsterdam painter of genre scenes and portraits. He is thought to have been influenced most strongly by Frans Hals and Willem Buytewech. Codde's early works show the influence of Hals's portrait style. Hals was known for his loose brushwork and capturing the vitality of his subjects. Codde adopted a similar approach in some of his portraits, although with a more restrained palette. Willem Buytewech's influence is apparent in Codde's genre scenes, particularly his interest in depicting fashionable society. Buytewech was a master of depicting elegant figures in interior settings. Codde's paintings often feature similar subject matter, with an emphasis on depicting the details of clothing and setting. Codde's interest in perspective and spatial arrangement may also reflect Buytewech's example. Other possible influences include Dirck Hals (younger brother of Frans) and the artist Adriaen Brouwer.
• Who was Pieter Codde?+

  Pieter Codde (1599-1678) was an Amsterdam painter who excelled at genre painting. Codde is particularly known for his ingenuity, his dexterity with brushwork, and the liveliness of his characterisations. He painted dance-mad music companies and guardroom scenes, with his *Preparation for a Carnival* considered a high point. Genre painting depicted scenes from daily life. The Dutch used the term *moderne beelden* (modern figures) for everyday scenes. Subcategories included *geselschapje* (merry company), *buitenpartij* (outdoor high-life party), *cortegaerdje* (guardroom scene), *bordeeltje* (brothel scene), *boerenkermis* (peasant fair), or *conversatie* (conversation). These paintings offer intimate glimpses of the Dutch world. Codde's paintings lack the humour found in Adriaen van Ostade and Jan Steen's work.
• Why are Pieter Codde's works important today?+

  Pieter Codde (1599-1678) was a Dutch Golden Age painter of genre works, and portraits. His paintings offer insights into middle-class life in 17th-century Amsterdam. Codde's importance stems partly from his detailed depictions of daily life. He captured clothing, domestic interiors, and social interactions with accuracy. These details provide valuable information about the period. His skill as a painter is evident in his handling of light and texture. Codde also collaborated with other artists, including Frans Hals. Hals painted figures in Codde's 1637 painting, "A Merry Company". Codde completed works begun by other artists, such as the "Portrait of a Young Man" that may have been started by Frans Hals. Art historians analyse these collaborations to understand workshop practices and artistic relationships in the Dutch Golden Age. His paintings are in major museum collections, such as the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, and the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg. These collections ensure his work remains accessible to scholars and the public. Codde's art provides a window into Dutch society during a time of significant economic and cultural change.