13.4 The Flemish and Dutch Baroque Painters & 13.5 Baroque Sculpture and Bernini

Sir Peter Paul Rubens

• considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition, fusing Flemish realism with the traditions of the Italian Renaissance.

• His powerful and exuberant style emphasized movement, color, drama, and sensuality

• Rubens' signature portrayal of the female form was coined "Rubenesque," a term that remains widely recognized today to describe voluptuous nudes.

• Samson and Delilah, The Judgement of Paris, The Raising of the Cross

Anthony Van Dyck

• the most important Flemish painter of the 17th century after Rubens

• revolutionized portrait painting in Britain, moving it away from the stiff and formal conventions to a more relaxed and fluid aesthetic.

• He is best known for his elegant and, often intimate, paintings of European aristocracy, particularly Charles I of England and his court

• He is best known for his elegant and, often intimate, paintings of European aristocracy, particularly Charles I of England and his court

Frans Hals

• specialized in portrait art and was the first great master of the 17th-century Dutch Realism school.

• noted for his large scale portraiture (Schuttersstuk) of the Dutch city guards (Schutterij) and how he captures light in his work.

• The smile is the hallmark of many of his images.

• The Officers of the St George Militia Company in 1639 and The Laughing Cavalier.

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn

• supreme portraitist and a wonderful exponent of Dutch Realism

• He is especially famous for his Biblical art, use of luxuriant brushwork, rich color, mastery of chiaroscuro

• transformed the etching process from a relatively new reproductive technique into a true art form

• his portraiture portray deep human feelings, reflecting the restrained emotions and devout spirit of Calvinist Holland and the new Protestant Reformation art

• Belshazzar's Feast, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp, and The Night Watch.

Johannes (Jan) Vermeer

• leader of the Dutch Realist artists, specialized in genre painting and informal portrait art, although he also painted a very small number of cityscapes and allegorical works.

• was titled “master of light” due to his delicate attention on how light played upon skins, fabrics, and precious stones in his work.

• Girl with a Pearl Earring and The Art of Painting: An Allegory.

Harmen Steenwijck

• one of the best still-life painters of his time, particularly Vanitas, which was said to be the invention of his uncle, David Bailly.

• An Allegory of the Vanities of Human Life

Sculpture

was the most characteristic Christian art form of the Baroque age and was certainly the most widespread.

Characteristics of Baroque Sculpture

• it was everywhere

• 2 broad categories: Architectural & Traditional

• used as architectural decors

• technically perfect

• depiction of drapery

• Figura Serpentinata

• emotion-charged

• best appreciated in the round, i.e., from multiple viewpoints

Gian Lorenzo Bernini

• the preminent and most dominant figure of Roman Baroque Sculpture, known for the intensity and theatricality of his works and compositions.

• popularized the concept of “speaking likeness” - capturing a subject in mid conversation

• changed the way sculptures are viewed by having them appreciated “in the round”, from all angles

• The Ecstasy of St. Teresa, the Cathedra Petri, David, Apollo and Daphne; and Pluto and Proserpine.