20 The Mirror Of Nature: Holland, seventeenth century Flashcards
Difference between Protestant and Catholic Netherlands in artistic style in 17th century?
Protestant Netherlands of the North more austere. Never accepted the full Baroque style of of Southern, Catholic Netherlands.
Identify, date, describe
Town Hall, Amsterdam (now Royal Palace), Jakob Van Campen, 1648.
Much more sparing in decoration than buildings of Catholic Baroque.
Frans Hals dates
1580-1666
Identify, date, describe
Banquet of the officers of the St George Militia Company, Frans Hals, 1616.
After serving in the militia (schutterij), town gave banquet.
Records likenesses without looking stiff or contrived, unlike previous efforts.
Group portraits such as these were way artists earned keep in Protestant Holland. Such painting of militia called schuttersstuk. Each member usually paid and posed separately so that each portrait was as accurate as possible.
Identify, date, describe
Pieter van der Broecke, Frans Hals, 1633
Hals develops technique of catching sitter at most characteristic moment -like a photograph.
Portrait assymetrical, but balanced.
What was the Dutch Golden Age?
A time of great prosperity, cultural growth, and world power through trade and art, including Dutch Realism.
After foundation of Dutch Republic in 1581.
How did artists in Protestant Holland sell paintings?
If they didn’t want to paint portraits, they had to paint pictures first and then find a buyer –either by peddling them at a market, or through a picture dealer.
What effect did the open market for art in Dutch Republic have on specialisation in art?
Artists became more specialised –if artist had made name as master of battle-pieces, then would produce more, rather than experiment.
Identify, date, describe
Windmill by a river, Jan van Goyen (1596-56), 1642. Shows how Dutch artists specialised in one genre of painting. Beauty of sky was discovery of Dutch artists –realisation that a simple piece of the world could be as satisfying as a heroic tale.
Rembrandt dates?
1606-69. Generation younger than Frans Hals and Rubens, 7 years younger than Van Dyck and Velasquez.
Identify, date, describe
Rembrandt van Rijn, Self-portrait, 1655. Total sincerity typical of Rembrandt, no affectation, just face of real human.
Rembrandt important life events
Born 1606 son of well-to-do Miller in Leiden. Finished university but abandoned to become painter.
At 25 left for commercial centre of Amsterdam.
Left a fortune by death of first wife in 1642.
Rembrandt’s popularity declines, 14 years later house up for auction. Saved from ruin by mistress and son.
They die, he dies poor in 1669, despite his widespread fame, with no possessions but old clothes and painting utensils.
Identify, date, describe
Jan Six, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1654. Rembrandt portraits seem to show whole person –their warmth, need for sympathy and suffering.
Rembrandt understood what Greeks called the “workings of the soul”.
Virtuosic rendering of ruffs and gold braid.
Claimed painting was finished when artist “had achieved his purpose” –thus hand in glove is mere sketch.
Identify, date, describe
Parable of the merciless servant, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1655. Able to conjure up entire relationship between people with a few strokes of a pen.
Identify, date, describe
Reconciliation of David and Absalom, Rembrandt, 1642.
Rembrandt visualised Biblical kings as like Orientals he saw in busy port of Amsterdam.
Opportunity to exploit play of light on fabric and jewellery. These effects not exploited for own sake –contrast between luxurious finery and simple emotion of scene.
Identify, date, describe
Christ preaching, Rembrandt, 1652
Rembrandt lived in Jewish quarter of Amsterdam and studied Jews’ appearance.
Unlike Italian art, no idealisation of figures, but owes debt to Italy in harmonious arrangement of group.
Identify, date, describe
The Christening Feast, Jan Steen, 1664
Steen son in law of Jan van Goyen. Also kept an inn to earn money – felt comfortable among the people.
Full of references to the possibility of infidelity. Sign of cuckold over baby’s head, woman reaching for sausages, father paying midwife, broken eggs, bed warmer on floor.
Identify, date, describe
Pool surrounded by trees, Jacob van Ruisdael, 1670.
Preeminent landscape painter of Dutch Golden Age.
Lived in Haarlem and painted wooded dunes. Particularly interested in effects of light and shade. Discovered poetry of Northern landscape much like Lorrain had done in Italy. No artist before had expressed so much of own feeling through their reflection in nature.
Identify, date, describe
Still life with drinking horn of St Sebastian Archers’ Guild, lobster and glasses, Willem Kalf, 1653. Still lifes such as these went well in dining rooms and were sure to find buyers. Collections of objects provided opportunity to explore specific effects –such as how light filters through coloured glass.
Identify, date, describe
The kitchen maid, Jan Vermeer, 1660 Vermeer painted few pictures in life.
Rarely represent important scenes –mostly simple figures in Dutch houses. Genius of Vermeer –achievement of painstaking precision without looking forced.
Forms are mellowed, yet retaining solidity and firmness.
In Dutch art, milkmaids and kitchen maids had reputation for love or sex:
- Delft tile depicts Cupid
- wide-mouthed jug symbol of female anatomy
- foot warmer symbol of female sexual arousal because, when placed under a skirt, it heats the whole body below the waist
Yet overall impression is one of the dignity of labour.
