Dutch and Flemish (Northern) Baroque Art

Question 1

Answer 1

Pieter Claesz., Vanitas Still-Life,
oil on panel,
1630s

• everything we experience in physical reality islimited and everything ends up dying or falling apart (VANITAS)
• he uses a series of symbolic and metaphorical features such as the most evident one; the skull.
• The skull is without the bottom jaw, emphasizing the top portion of the skull where the brain is housed. I believe he is using this is a symbol for an individual’s knowledge and ideas. It is also representing, the more obvious aspect of death. Below the skull are stacks of paper, along with a feather pen beside it. These element brought together show just how dangerous some ideologies were during this time period.

Question 2

Answer 2

Peter Paul Rubens, Elevation of the Cross,

oil on wood,

1610

• The central panel illustrates a tension between the multitude of finely muscled men attempting to lift the cross and the seemingly unbearable weight of Christ on the cross.
• Motion, space and time are illustrated along with the struggle to upright the cross. Rubens uses dynamic color

Question 3

Answer 3

Judith Leyster, Self-Portrait,

oil on canvas,

1630

• brush work makes it engaging
• advertises herself as both an elegant lady and a painter

Question 4

Answer 4

Rembrandt van Rijn, Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp,
oil on canvas,
1632

• each of them paid for their part of the painting
• there’s an element of action
• shows that they are engaged and interested in the lecture

Question 5

Answer 5

Rembrandt van Rijn, The Company of Captain Franz Banning Cocq (Night Watch),

oil on canvas,

1642

• 11 x 17 ft
• atmosphere of community, shared purpose
• quality of painting building up on a surface
• built literal texture

Question 6

Answer 6

Rembrandt van Rijn, Return of the Prodigal Son

, oil on canvas, ca.

1665

• ex. of history painting
• idea of forgiveness
• used a limited pallete
• used IMPASTO technique- thickness of the paint

Question 7

Answer 7

Jacob van Ruisdael, View of Haarlem from the Dunes at Overveen,

oil on canvas, ca.

1670

• wanting to catch the world as it is
• landscape tradition
• painting of a very particular seen
• uses illumination
• bleaching fields
• landscape less than a third of the composition, skyyyy, light in storms, how light behaves over landscape
• connection of lanscape in economy

Question 8

Answer 8

Jan Vermeer, Allegory of the Art of Painting,

oil on canvas,

1670-1675

• very meticulous
• subtle image
• Focus on space of stillness and quiet interruptance
• Not only his extraordinary light, color and detail, but also the unique perspective of the painting adds to its captivating qualities.
• Vermeer portrays an artist in his studio painting a woman modeling as Clio, the muse of History. It appears that Vermeer wanted to portray not only an artist’s studio, but also more importantly the significance of paintin
• somewhat theatrical

Question 9

Answer 9

Rachel Ruysch, Flower Still Life,

oil on canvas, after 1700

• uses diagoals (table to vase; big red flower on the top and at the bottom)
• used light and shadow
• different kinds of flowers
• The use of a dark background for a bouquet is a tried and tested way of bringing colours and shapes to their own
• wished to present the various species in a way that made them clearly recognisable