Dutch art.

Collection of Dutch art – one of the largest part of the museum. First paintings were aquired by Peter the Great (beginning of 18^th century). Dutch art had always been very popular in the country. Later, when the H. was founded, paintings, acquired by Peter the Great, were moved to H.

• The art of Netherlands (до 16ого века)

После 17ого:

• Dutch art

• Flemish art

The liberation movement was going on in Netherland by the beginning of the 17^th century, as a result the Northern part of the country got independence from the Spain – it was known as Holland (7 province had separated), while the Southern remained under the Spanish rule (known as Flanders). As a result there were a great upsurge of intellectual activity in all the spheres of life, including paintings.

Flanders, capital – Antwerp.

Dutch golden age painting («Малые голландцы»).

The collection of them consists of over 1000 paintings. The period spends the 17^th century, during and after the 18-years war for Dutch independence. The new Dutch republic became the most prosperous nation in Europe, that was a leader in European trade, science and art. As the Northern provinces had traditionally been less important artistic centers than cities in Flanders in the South, the Dutch art needed to reinvent itself entirely – a task, in which it was largely very successful.

Although Dutch paintings of the golden age comes in the European period of baroque and often shown some of its characteristic features, it lacks idealization and love of splendor, typical for baroque style – most works reflect the traditions of detail realism of early netherlandish paintings.

Another distinguished feature of the period is proliferation of distinct genres of painting with the majority of artists working within one of this. Most paintings are relatively small – hence the Russian name “small Dutch masters”. The only common type of large paintings were group portraits. Pictures were small because of small houses. Many painters continued to use wooden panels or copper plates. There is little sculpture in our collection because there was little sculpture in that period – houses were decorated in silverware and ceramics.

Art was produced in enormous quantities. Paintings were sold at large fairs (over 1,3 million Dutch paintings were painted in a 20 years after 1640). Quality and prices were low. Artist, who was felt-out-of-fashion (Hals, Rembrandt) had problems earning a living and died poor, some artists had another work.

The system of training of D-artist followed the old medieval tradition of training with a master. Typical workshops were smaller then in Flanders or in Italy with only one or two students at a time. The artists paint little interesting in artistic theory.

Portrait-painting, tried in the Netherlands in the 17^th century, as there was a large mercantile class, who were ready to commission portraits. Estimated production was between 750 000 to 1 mln. Greatest Amsterdam portraitist was Rembrandt.

France Hals (1581-1666). A Dutch golden age painter, notable for his loose-brushwork, who introduced this lively style of painting into Dutch art. Two paintings in the Hermitage - “Portrait of a young man with a glove”, “Portrait of a man”.

Hals was born in Antwerp, after the fall of Antwerp his family fled to Harlem. His earliest own painting was painted in 1611.

Historians have reported that he mistreated his first wife, Anneke based on records that a Frans Hals was charged with spousal abuse in Haarlem in 1616. However the Frans Hals in question was not the artist, but another Haarlem resident of the same name. Indeed, at the time of these charges, the artist had no wife to mistreat as Anneke had died earlier

. Similarly, historical accounts of Hals' propensity for drink have been largely based on embellished anecdotes of his early biographers with no direct evidence existing documenting such.

In 1617 he married Lysbeth Reyniers, was a devoted father and they have eight children. Where Hals contemporaries such as Rembrandt moved their households according to the caprices of patrons, Hals remained in Haarlem and insisted that his customers came to him. According to the Haarlem archives, a militia piece that Hals started in Amsterdam was finished by another painter because Hals refused to paint in Amsterdam, insisting that the militiamen come to Haarlem to sit for their portraits.

He also painted large group portraits. He was a Baroque painter who practiced an realism with a radically free approach. His pictures illustrate the various strata of society; banquets or meetings of officers, sharpshooters, admirals, generals, fishwives and tavern heroes.

In group portraitsHals captures each character in a different manner. The faces are not idealized and are clearly distinguishable, with their personalities revealed in a variety of poses and facial expressions.

Hals seized, with rare intuition, a moment in the life of his subjects. What nature displayed in that moment he reproduced thoroughly in a delicate scale of color, and with mastery over every form of expression. He became so clever that exact tone, light and shade, and modeling were obtained with a few marked and fluid strokes of the brush. He became a popular portrait painter, and painted the wealthy of Haarlem on special occasions.

Later in his life his brush strokes became looser, fine detail becoming less important than the overall impression. Where his earlier pieces radiated gaiety and liveliness, his later portraits emphasized the stature and dignity of the people portrayed. It is not known whether Hals ever painted landscapes, still lifes or narrative pieces, but it is unlikely.

Many artists in the 17th century in Holland opted to specialise, and Hals also appears to have been a pure portrait specialist. Hals was a master of a technique that utilized something previously seen as a flaw in painting, the visible brushstroke. The soft curling lines of Hals' brush are always clear upon the surface.

As early as the 17th century, people were struck by the vitality of Frans Hals' portraits. “Works reflected 'such power and life' that the painter 'seems to challenge nature with his brush'. Centuries later Vincent van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo: 'What a joy it is to see a Frans Hals, how different it is from the paintings – so many of them – where everything is carefully smoothed out in the same manner.' Hals chose not to give a smooth finish to his painting, as most of his contemporaries did, but mimicked the vitality of his subject by using lines, spots, large patches of color and hardly any details.

It was not until the 19th century that his technique had followers, particularly among the Impressionists.

Although his work was in demand throughout his life, he lived so long, that he eventually went out of style and experienced financial differences. In addition to his paintings he continued to work as a restorer, art-diller and tax-expert, when he went out of style as a painter. Died in Harlem when he was over 80.

Scenes of everyday life (genre paintings). Usually shows scenes with figures, to whom no specific identity can be attached. They are not portraits or historical figures. Became very popular in Flanders. There is a large number of sub-types: peasant-families, tavern scenes, women at work, scenes with horses or farm animals, for most of which there is a specific term in Dutch. Many of this paintings illustrate Dutch proverbs and sayings rather than daily life.

Jan Steen (Стэн) 1626-1679 – “Revelers” («Гуляки»). Sociological inset, sense of humor, abundance of color. Born in a well-to-do catholic family, who were brewers and rent a tavern for two generations (in Laydon), were he founded the painters’ guild in 1648. Moved from city to city a lot, was especially productive during the 10 years in Harlem. When the art market collapsed in 1672, Steen opened a tavern. The best painting in the Hermitage – “The revelers” – painted in wooden panel, where the artist himself and his first wife Margrit, daughter of his employer artist Van Hohen, are depicted. Daily life was Steen’s main theme. He often used members of his family as modals and painted a few self-portraits with now tendency of vanity.

Equivoques in his paintings seen to suggest than Steen meant to worn the viewer rather than invite him to copy his behavior. He was prolific, producing about 800 paintings, of which 350 survived. His works were valued highly by his contemporaries, he was well-paid. Didn’t have many students, but influenced many painters.

Jerard Terbor (1617-1681). Hermitage – 6 excellent works. A Dutch genre painter, who was educated by his father, also an artist, and developed his talent very early. The artist travelled extensively in Britain, Germany, France, Spain and Italy. He is known for his rendering of texture in draperies, for example, in the “Glass of lemonade”. His works are comparatively rear, about 80 have been cataloged. “Glass of lemonade” depicts a scene, where an elderly woman introduces a girl to a young man. The girl says she’s not filling well, a man offer a glass of lemonade to her. The painting is noteworthy for the exquisite combination of colors.

Peter de Hooch (1629-1684). He was a contemporary of Jan deк Mayen, with whom he shared themes and style. He was born in Rotterdam, in a family of break-layer, was the eldest of 5 children. From 1650 he worked as a painter and servant for a linen merchant and art collector. His service for the merchant required him to accompany him on his travels in the Netherlands. During this period the artist probably handed over most of his works to the merchants in exchange for board. Fathered 7 children. Lived in Delft and Amsterdam. In his early years he mostly painted soldiers in stables and taverns, which he used to develop great skill in light, color and perspective.

After starting his own family, he switched his focus to domestic scenes and family portraits. He became famous for careful observation of details of everyday life and sophisticated and delicate treatment of light. Although he began to paint for well-fear patrons in Amsterdam, he lived in the poorest area of the city. Some scalars believe, that his distress at the death of his wife affected his work which deteriorated in quality. His own health was also deteriorating and he died in asylum in Amsterdam. There are 48 paintings, attributed to de Hooch. “Mistress and her maid”.

Animalism – genre painting.

Paulus Potter (1625-1684). He specialized in animals and landscapes, usually with a low point of view (изображал приземленно). Before he died of tuberculosesб he succeeded in producing about 100 painting, working continuously. Few details are known of his life. He started paintings with his father in Amsterdam, who was for sometime a manufacturer of gilded-leather-hangs. His paintings were often criticized by contemporaries, but greatly admired during the 19^th century as an early example of romanticism. The H posses several paintings, such as “Punishment of a hunter”, “The bull”, “Dog on a chain”, “The farm” (this one was acquired from Josephina Bogarnet).

Landscape.

Jacob van Ruisdael (1628-1682). A native of Harlem, born in artistic family, a member of artist guild of St Luke in Harlem. During his lifetime, his works were little appreciated, he suffered from poverty. Died in asylum of the town in 1682. 11 paintings in the H, “The Marsh” is considered the world masterpiece.

Simple scenes, he excelled as a painter of trees, particularly of oaks. He painted distant cities, coast scenes and see-pieces, but the artist was at his best, rendering lonely forest glades. There are some suggestions, that subjects of his mountain scenes were taken from Norway, which led to the proposal, that he had traveled to that country. However, there is no record of such a journey. The works in questions are near adaptations from landscapes of another artist. The prevailing color of his landscapes is full rich green, which has darkened with time. Though he had little scientific knowledge of the landscapes, his works are sensitive and poetic.

Still-life.

William Claesz Heda (1594-1618). One of the earliest Dutch golden age artist, devoted exclusively to the still-lives. This type developed from early Netherlandish group portraits, in which the forefront usually shown laid tables with an abundance of diverse epitasis. Still-lives were a great opportunity for demonstrating skills in paintings textures and surfaces in great detail with realistic light effects. Several types of subjects are recognized: banquets and breakfasts.

Usually all still-lives had a moralistic message, usually concerning the brevity of life. Sometimes represented by such obvious symbol as a scull, half-pilled lemon (sweet in appearance, but bitter to taste), flowers wilt and food decease and silver is of no use to the soul. Initially they painted common place objects, but from mid-18^th century still-lives with an exotic objects became more popular.

Born in Harlem, son of the Harlem-city architect, the member of the Guild. He shows considerable skill and taste in arrangement and coloring of his chased cups and pitchers of precious and inferior metals. Nothing is so empathizing as his fare – oysters, bread, champagne, olives and pastry. Even the more common place meals have charm. Head of many students. Most of his paintings today are on the European continent – in the galleries of Paris, Parma etc.

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