Highrise Buildings Sketch, Chicago, Illinois, Perspective Sketches

This attribution presents a fascinating historical puzzle. Willem van der Vliet was a Dutch Golden Age painter who lived from approximately 1584 to 1642 in Delft, known primarily for portraits and historical allegories in the style of his time. However, this sketch depicts modern highrise buildings in Chicago with architectural perspectives that would be impossible for a 17th-century Dutch artist to have created. The medium—graphite on note paper mounted on archival board—and the subject matter of modern skyscrapers suggest this is likely a misattribution, possibly a cataloging error where van der Vliet's name became attached to a 20th-century architectural drawing. The Art Institute of Chicago holds another work in their collection titled "Court House Studies, Interior Perspective Study" (c. 1931–1938) which shares this work's architectural focus and similar presentation on mounted paper, suggesting this sketch may actually date from the early-to-mid 20th century when Chicago's skyline was rapidly developing. The confident linework and perspective techniques visible in the sketch reflect modern architectural drafting practices rather than Dutch Golden Age artistic conventions.