"houding" is a term of art theory of the Dutch Golden Age, which has no equivalent in English. But like many foreign art terms, understand what it means can give us a glimpse of the thought process of earlier traditions artists.
houding has to do with the "pleasant and effective evocation of space." Another translation renders as "the tonal and spatial organization of the whole picture."
It combines several factors including color, chiaroscuro and perspective atmospheric, all working together to achieve a sense of depth and illusion. If houding is successful, the colors are chosen and modified with depth and atmosphere in mind, with "powerful in before, and less energetic back further depending on their nature. "
(above Andrej Schilder, Russian, 1861-1919, the Ravine )
according to a definition by Goeree from the time of Vermeer, houding is "... which binds everything together in a drawing or painting, making things happen in the front or the back, from the first floor plan of the environment and therefore in the background to keep in place without appearing farther or closer and without appearing lighter or darker than his good remote subscription, so that everything is different, no confusion, things that connect and surround it, and has a unambiguous position through the appropriate use of the size and color, and light and shadow, and that the eye can perceive naturally the space, the distance between the body is left open and empty, both near and far, as if you can walk there, and everything fits in its own space in it. "
concepts such as houding remind us that the language we are accustomed to using color theory twentieth century is insufficient for painters interested in realism, because it defines the universe only in abstract terms purely 2D, detached from the deep concern, light and atmosphere
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Goeree estimate on the main website Vermeer
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Goeree estimate on the main website Vermeer
other quotes from the article "the concept of houding theory of Dutch art," by Paul Taylor
A big thank you to Ed Ahlstrom to tell me about it.
