Photographers

Carla van de Puttelaar (born 1967 in Zaandam, The Netherlands) is a Dutch fine‑art photographer, art historian (Ph.D., Utrecht University), and lecturer based in Amsterdam. Internationally recognized for her refined portraiture and luminous studies of the human body, she creates photographs deeply rooted in the visual traditions of the Dutch Golden Age. Drawing inspiration from painters such as Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Vermeer, and Caravaggio, her work is known for its masterful use of natural light, subtle textures, and painterly compositions that evoke intimacy, sensitivity, and an aura of timelessness.

Van de Puttelaar graduated from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in 1996 and quickly gained attention for her distinctive treatment of skin, gesture, and light. Her photographic practice spans portraiture, nudes, still-life, and floral studies, including her well‑known *Hortus Nocturnum* series. Her images have appeared on international book covers and in publications such as The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, and Random House titles. She has published multiple monographs, including *Galateas*, *The Beholder’s Eye*, *Adornments*, *Artfully Dressed*, and *Brushed by Light*. The latter accompanied her 2020 career retrospective at the National Museum of History and Art in Luxembourg.

In addition to her photographic career, van de Puttelaar is an accomplished art historian specializing in 17th‑ and early 18th‑century Dutch and Scottish portraiture. Her academic work includes the publication *Scottish Portraiture 1644–1714* (2021). She is also the creator of the major portrait series *Artfully Dressed: Women in the Art World*, a multi‑year project featuring hundreds of women across global art institutions. Her photographs have been exhibited throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States, and she has received numerous awards including the Prix de Rome Basic Prize and shortlist placements for the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize and Portrait of Britain.