Baroque Art Final Exam

Hendrick Terbrugghen, Saint Sebastian
Tended by Irene, 1625

-depicts the aftermath of Saint Sebastian's near-fatal martyrdom (for his christian faith), where Saint Irene and her maid nurse him back to health

-Saint Sebastian—invoked against the plague

-Utrecht Caravaggisti: people who lived in or studied in the city of Utrecht who were influenced by Caravaggio during their time in Rome

-possibly influenced by the plague happening in Utrecht at the time

-created during the netherlands revolt

Gerrit van Honthorst, Supper Party, 1620

-Utrecht Caravaggisti

-Commissioned by Cosmo II de Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany

-Caravaggio elements include the informal gathering and dark tenebristic lighting and warmth

-Honthorst went on to influence Rembrandt artistically

-Dark figure in front creates contrast and depth

-Genre scene, secular

-created during the netherlands revolt

-parable of the prodigal son

Frans Hals, Shrovetide Revelers, c. 1615

-created during the netherlands revolt

-It represents the period of indulgence before Lent, which included theatrical performances by painters' guilds

-girl is likely a boy

-food symbolizes pleasure and gluttony

-Shrovetide was a popular occasion for guilds like the painters' guilds to perform theatrical skits and parties

Frans Hals, Haarlem Militia Company of St. George, c. 1627

-The St. George company was one of several civic guard units in Haarlem responsible for the city's military protection.

-The composition clearly shows the social hierarchy within the company, with the highest-ranking officers at the head of the table.

-Strong diagonals

-Loose brushstrokes and full of life

-created during the netherlands revolt

-schuttersstuk

Frans Hals, The Regentesses of the Old Men’s Almshouse, c. 1664

-It was created for the institution where it was displayed in the ladies' meeting room.

-It was painted at the same time as a companion piece, The Regents of the Old Men's Almshouse, which depicted the male board members

-it reflects the seriousness and responsibility of the women's roles and the dominant Calvinist religion of the Dutch Republic.

-importance of portraiture in the dutch republic

-realistic and naturalistic

-status portrait

Rembrandt, Descent from the Cross, c. 1633

-major commission from Prince Fredrick Hendrick, Stadtholder (essentially a president in the Dutch Republic)

-Rembrandt would’ve seen a PRINT of Rubens descent from the cross as reference

-not much blood

-dark composiron

-use of light to focus on jesus

-jesus looks thinner than rubens’ version, no real idealization

-contextually, religious subjects move to the home and not as much the church

Rembrandt, Nicolaes Ruts, 1631

-first big commission for rembrandt

-burgher (merchant) importer of furs from russia

-commissioned by him and then his daughter went on to display it in her studio

-fur is a reference to his wealth and trade

-lots of focus on clothing and hair

-CONTEXT: importance of portraiture in the Dutch Republic

-CONTEXT: related to Dutch global trade and the success of the Dutch Republic economy

-Rembrandt is known for chiaroscuro and tenebrism

Rembrandt, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicholas Tulp, 1632

-commissioned by Amsterdam surgeons’ guild

-Nicholas was well known as a surgeon and anatomist

-background viewers are engaged and captivated, increases the importance of Tulp

-foreshortening of cadaver

-book is open to the page he is talking about

-he is demonstrating the way the ligaments move the hand

-each one of the figures paid a certain amount to be included in the painting

-his name is signed in the gray background

-light pulls focus

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Rembrandt, Blinding of Samson, 1636

-to be hung in strong light

-old testament story

-Delilah cuts Samson’s his hair which held his power. She is usually presented as a desirable woman for Samson, but she is presented as the victor here.

-Philistines

-cultural exploration during the dutch golden age

Rembrandt, Self-Portrait Leaning on a Stone Sill, 1640

-self portrait at the age of 34

-true self portrait

-he is wealthy and well established at this point, gentlemanly

-inspired by Raphael’s Baldassare Castiglione

-Fur coat (wealth displayed through clothing)

-Trompe l’oeil with the arm in front coming into the viewer space

Rembrandt, Bathsheba, 1654

-an Old Testament story (2 Samuel 11) where David, seeing the beautiful, married Bathsheba bathing, summons her for an affair, which leads him to have her husband, Uriah, killed in battle

-focuses on Bathsheba's inner psychological conflict, portraying her not as a temptress but as a victim of a powerful ruler

-According to the Old Testament, King David sees Bathsheba bathing and has her brought to him. She becomes pregnant, and David subsequently orchestrates the death of her husband, Uriah the Hittite, to conceal his actions

-By removing David from the scene, Rembrandt implicitly makes the viewer the voyeur, replacing David's gaze and highlighting the objectification of women

Rembrandt, The Three Trees, 1643, etching and engraving

-importance of landscape and genre scenes in dutch art

-echoes the loose & textural brushwork in his paintings

Rembrandt, Jesus Preaching, c. 1649, etching, engraving & drypoint

-The print illustrates Matthew 19

• Christ healing the sick

• Blessing the children

• Debating with the Pharisees

• The departure of the rich young man

-Landmark in printmaking, sold for a lot of money

-Dutch Golden Age

-The print, known as the "Hundred Guilder Print," reflects the growing importance of the merchant class

-More accessible bc of it being etching

Leyster, Boy Playing a Flute, 1635

-children in genre paintings, one of the first

-beautiful palette of colors

-light and shadow is important

-precise from afar, expressive up close

Gerard Terborch, Gallant Conversation (Parental Admonition), 1655

-smaller painting,

-coin was removed from man's hand

-dog as carnal desire

-beautiful satin

Gabriel Metsu, Man and Woman seated and a virginal, 1658

-Metsu learning good technique

-Love

-attention to light detail

-light is important to dutch genre painters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-proper natured courtship

-very organized composition

Gerrit Dou, The Young Mother, 1658

-Leiden Fijnschilders

-Servants in the back

-1658 on the window

Pieter de Hooch, The Bedroom, 1660

-domestic life

-mother as caretaker

-delft school

Jan Steen, Beware of Luxury, 1663

-Luxuria= extravagance, lust

-nun & quaker as a reminder of "behave!"

-dont give your pearls to the swine

-lemon & flowers are momento mori

Jan Vermeer, the Milkmaid, 1660

-very small paintings

-low ranking servant

-carrying out her duties

-working woman, hard working, you can tell by her arms

-footwarmer in the back away from her, may be interpreted as her being moral and hardworking

-blue and white ceramic tiles are delft tiles

Jan Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance, 1665

Vermeer, the Art of Painting, 1667

-Clio, Muse of History (book and instrument are attributes)

-Ripa's Iconologia (Dutch Translation , 1644)

  -clio as a girl with a laurel which represents fame, a trumpet, and a Greek history book

  -an encyclopedia of iconography

-Checkered floor alludes to perspective

-The painter is an allegory for the Artist

-map is a reference to the cartographic tradition

Aelbert Cuyp, A Distant View of Dordrecht, late 1640s

-Dutch r known for dairy, milk and cheese (mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm)

-cows get attention in the foreground

-Pride in nationality, since they are known for cheese and milk, then the cows get attention

-A native dutch arcadia

-Italianate

Italianate Landscape: warm tones, bright sunny light, distant view

Jacob van Ruisdael, View of Haarlem with the Bleaching Grounds, 1670

-Lots of attention to the light and the sky and clouds

-linens were a profitable industry in Haarlem

-bleaching the fabric in the sun

-dutch pride

-native landscape

Peter Claesz, Vanitas Still Life, 1630s

Willem Kalf, Still-Life with a Ming Ginger Jar, 1669