• Aboriginals in North America
  • Beast Literature
  • Canadiana.1
  • Dances & Music
  • Fables and Fairy Tales
  • Fables by Jean de La Fontaine
  • Feasts & Liturgy
  • Great Books Online
  • La Princesse de Clèves
  • Middle East
  • Molière
  • Nominations
  • Posts on Love Celebrated
  • Posts on the United States
  • The French Revolution & Napoleon Bonaparte
  • Voyageurs Posts
  • Canadiana.2

Micheline's Blog

~ Art, music, books, history & current events

Micheline's Blog

Daily Archives: December 4, 2012

A Brief Introduction to the Dutch Golden Age in Art

04 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by michelinewalker in Art

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Dutch Golden Age, Dutch Master, Encyclopædia Britannica, Frans Hals, Johannes Vermeer, Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt, Ruysdael

The Night Watch, by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1642

The Night Watch, by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1642

The Golden Age of Dutch Painting

Having admired a number of Dutch paintings last week, leaving the subject is very difficult. In the Fine Arts, I should think it would be difficult to find so many masters living in one area of Europe during a mere hundred years.

Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens (28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was active in the early part of the seventeenth century, and he is an accomplished artist and was a fine diplomat.  He was not Dutch, but how does one not mention him?

But let us focus on Holland. Dutch artist Rembrant van Rijn (15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669) is usually considered the most prominent artist of the seventeenth century in Holland. However, it is a question of degrees. Johannes Vermeer (1632 – December 1675) is also a Dutch Master. The same is true of Jacob Isaackszoon van Ruisdael (c. 1628 – 14 March 1682), Franz Hals (c. 1582 – 26 August 1666).

Some excelled at portraiture (Vermeer, Hals), others painted landscapes (the Ruisdaels) but Rembrandt was the most eclectic. He painted portraits, the Jewish population of Amsterdam, seascapes, biblical subjects and the very large Night Watch (1642), housed in the Rijksmuseum, in Amtersdam. Vermeer was also a “genre,” painter.  He painted interiors where individuals are going about their everyday activity.

A Young Man in a Large hat, by Frans Hals,  1626/1629

A Young Man in a Large Hat, by Frans Hals, 1626/1629[i]

The Girl with the Pearl Earring, by Johannes Vermeer, 1632 - 1675

The Girl with the Pearl Earring, by Johannes Vermeer, 1665

The Windmill at Wijk bij Duurstedec. 1670 Oil on canvas, 83 x 101 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

The Windmill at Wijk bij Duurstede, by Jacob Isaackszoon van Ruisdael, c. 1670 

A Backdrop

The above is a mere backdrop or introduction. However, it is quite acceptable. We have identified four Dutch Masters, possibly the most prominent Dutch Masters of the seventeenth century, the Dutch Golden Age. We have linked each of them to subjects they depicted which, by an large, are not religious subjects.

In this regard, a potential gallery of the Dutch Golden Age paintings would contain portraits, seascapes, depiction of Jews in a tolerant Holland, and depictions of rather large groups of people. On the subject of Jews, I should note that the citizens of seventeenth-century Holland were a tolerant society.

As a result, there was considerable emigration to Holland. Not all stayed, but many did, some of whom were artists. Jewish and Mannerist artist Gillis van Coninxloo emigrated to Holland.

I have explored the life and times of several Golden Age Dutch artists, but realize I am now too tired to continue my work. I will have to rest. So I may not post blogs for a few days. However, I will try to catch up with messages and comments.That is very important.

 
© Micheline Walker
December 4, 2012
WordPress
_________________________

[i] “Frans Hals”. Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 04 Dec. 2012
<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/253063/Frans-Hals/2988/Additional-Reading>.

composer: Gabriel Fauré (12 May 1845 – 4 November 1924)
piece: Sicilienne, for cello & piano, Op. 78
performers: Steven Isserlis & Pascal Devoyon
 
 
Related articles
  • Still-life Paintings: Vanitas Vanitatum (michelinewalker.com)
  • Roelandt Savery: from Flowers to the Dodo (michelinewalker.com)
  • The Bosschaert “Dynasty,” Jan Davidsz de Heem & Bartholomeus Assteyn (michelinewalker.com)

Micheline's Blog

  • WhatsApp
  • Skype
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • Pocket
  • Email
  • micheline.walker@videotron.ca
  • micheline's blog

Like this:

Like Loading...

Europa

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 2,359 other followers

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Recent Posts

  • Le Vent du Nord’s “Confédération”
  • Absence
  • Prince Philip has died: 1921-2021
  • Sir Karl Jenkins’ “L’Homme armé”
  • Guillaume Du Fay’s L’Homme armé
  • Why hast Thou forsaken me?
  • La Chanson du camionneur, Fred Pellerin
  • Didier Barbelivien chante “Jean de France”
  • Les Frères ennemis, again and again
  • The Human Condition in the Days of Covid-19

Archives

Categories

Calendar

December 2012
M T W T F S S
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31  
« Nov   Jan »

Social

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • WordPress.org

micheline.walker@videotron.ca

Micheline Walker

Micheline Walker

Social

Social

  • View belaud44’s profile on Facebook
  • View Follow @mouchette_02’s profile on Twitter
  • View Micheline Walker’s profile on LinkedIn
  • View belaud44’s profile on YouTube
  • View Miicheline Walker’s profile on Google+
  • View michelinewalker’s profile on WordPress.org

Micheline Walker

Micheline Walker
Follow Micheline's Blog on WordPress.com

A WordPress.com Website.

Cancel

 
Loading Comments...
Comment
    ×
    loading Cancel
    Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
    Email check failed, please try again
    Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
    <span>%d</span> bloggers like this: