Johannes Vermeer Milkmaid 1658-1660

The Dutch Golden Age was a period in Dutch history, roughly spanning the 17th century, in which Dutch trade, science, and art were among the most acclaimed in the world. From the legacy of this period, the painters are best known. Download high resolution version (874x975, 114 KB)from [1] The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... Download high resolution version (874x975, 114 KB)from [1] The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... Events January 13 - Edward Sexby, who had plotted against Oliver Cromwell, dies in Tower of London February 6 - Swedish troops of Charles X Gustav of Sweden cross The Great Belt (Storebælt) in Denmark over frozen sea May 1 - Publication of Hydriotaphia, Urn Burial and The Garden of Cyrus by... Events Expulsion of the Carib indigenous people from Martinique by French occupying forces. ... The Dutch Golden Age was a period in Dutch history, roughly spanning the 17th century, in which Dutch trade, science, and art were among the most acclaimed in the world. ...

Popular genres were

• historical paintings
• portraits (both of individual persons and groups)
• landscapes and cityscapes
• still lifes
• scenes of everyday life, also called genre paintings

Combinations of these categories occurred. Allegories, in which painted objects conveyed symbolic meaning about the subject, were often applied. For instance, a still life might include a skull, an hourglass and a snuffed out candle, symbols which all emphasized mortality. Also seasons were often indicated by human activities that were typical for that time of the year (skating, sowing, harvesting, etc). Paintings often had a moralistic message hidden under the surface. Genre painting, also called genre scene or petit genre, attempts to depict aspects of everyday life, via portraits of ordinary people engaged in common activities. ... David McCarthy of Lower Columbia College says that An allegory (from Greek αλλος, allos, other, and αγορευειν, agoreuein, to speak in public) is a figurative mode of representation conveying a meaning other than and in addition to the cularly important case is the Song of Songs, which was accepted as canonical only...

Historical paintings

This category comprises not only paintings that depicted real historical events, but also paintings that showed biblical, mythological, literary and allegorical scenes. Large dramatic historical or biblical scenes were less often produced than in other countries, where religious and noble patrons of art often sought to overawe the viewer. Instead Dutch painters, especially in the northern provinces, tried to invoke emotion on the part of the spectator by letting him/her be a bystander on a scene of profound intimacy. As such Rembrandt and Rubens are striking examples of large differences in style between Dutch painters from the northern Low Countries, the Dutch Republic, and Flanders in the south. Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (July 15, 1606 – October 4, 1669) is generally considered one of the greatest painters in European art history and the most important in Dutch history. ... Pieter Pauwel (Peter Paul) Rubens (June 28, 1577 - May 30, 1640) was a Flemish baroque painter. ...

Many of Dutch greatest painters were inspired and influenced, as least during their formative years, by Italian paintings. Copies of Italian masterpieces circulated and suggested certain compositional schemes. Also treatment of light, in which Dutch painters would become absolute masters themselves, could partly be traced back to Italian predecessors, notably Caravaggio. Some Dutch painters also travelled to Italy to make firsthand observations. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (September 28, 1573 – July 18, 1610), usually called Caravaggio after his hometown near Milan, was an Italian Baroque painter, whose large religious works portrayed saints and other biblical figures as ordinary people. ...

(Group) portraits

Rembrandt The Nightwatch (1642)

Portrait painting thrived in the Netherlands in the 17th century. A great many portraits were commissioned by wealthy individuals. Group portraits similarly were often ordered by prominent members of a city's civilian guard, by boards of trustees and regents, and the like. Download high resolution version (750x625, 38 KB)Image from the official Rijksmuseum website. ... Download high resolution version (750x625, 38 KB)Image from the official Rijksmuseum website. ...

Especially in the first half of the century portraits were very formal and stiff in composition. Groups were often seated around a table, each person looking at the viewer. A lot of attention was paid to fine details in clothing and where applicable to furniture and other signs of a person's position in society. Later in the century groups became livelier, colours brighter.

Scientists often posed with instruments and objects of their study around them. Physicians sometimes posed together around a corpse, a so called 'Anatomical Lesson', the most famous one being Rembrandt's Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp (1632, Mauritshuis, The Hague). Boards of trustees preferred an image of austerity and humility, by posing in dark clothes (which by their refinement of course still clearly testified of their prominent place in society), often seated around a table, a serious look on their faces. Families often had themselves portrayed inside their luxurious homes. Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp is a 1632 oil painting by Rembrandt. ... See also: 1632 (novel) Events February 22 - Galileos Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems is published July 23 - 300 colonists for New France depart Dieppe November 8 - Wladyslaw IV Waza elected king of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth after Zygmunt III Waza death November 16 - Battle of Lützen... Mauritshuis The Mauritshuis is a museum in The Hague, the Netherlands. ... Arms of The Hague The Hague (with capital T; Dutch: Den Haag, formerly also s-Gravenhage) is the administrative capital of the Netherlands, located in the west of the country, in the province South Holland of which it is also the capital. ...

Most group portraits of civilian guards (Dutch: schutterstuk) were commissioned in Haarlem and Amsterdam. Here the portrayed favoured an image of might, status or even a joyous spirit. The arrangement around a table would give way in later years to a more dynamic composition, the most prominent example being Rembrandts famous The Militia Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq better known as the Night Watch (1642, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam). In Amsterdam most of these paintings would ultimately end up in the possession of the city council. Many of those are now on display in the Amsterdam Historical Museum. Haarlem is a city in the west of the Netherlands, capital of the North Holland province. ... Amsterdam Location Flag Country The Netherlands Province North Holland Population 742,951(1 January 2005) Coordinates 52°22′N 4°54′E Website www. ... Events January 4 - Charles I attempts to arrest five leading members of the Long Parliament, but they escape. ... The Rijksmuseum Rembrandt van Rijn: The Night Watch 1642 Johannes Vermeer: Milkmaid 1658-1660 Frans Hals: Portrait of a Young Couple The Rijksmuseum (IPA: ; Dutch for Empire Museum) is a national museum of the Netherlands, located in Amsterdam on the Museumplein. ... Amsterdam Location Flag Country The Netherlands Province North Holland Population 742,951(1 January 2005) Coordinates 52°22′N 4°54′E Website www. ...

Often group portraits were paid for by each portrayed person individually. The amount paid determined each person's place in the picture, either head to toe in full regalia in the foreground or face only in the back of the group. Sometimes all group members paid an equal sum, which was likely to lead to quarrels when some members gained a more prominent place in the picture than others.

Scenes of every day life

Many genre paintings, which seemingly only depicted everyday life, actually illustrated Dutch proverbs and sayings, or conveyed a moralistic message, the meaning of which is not always easy to decipher nowadays. All walks of life were shown. Today these genre paintings provide many insights into the daily life of 17th century citizens of all classes.

Landscapes and cityscapes

Landscape painting was a major genre in the 17th century. Flemish landscapes (particularly from Antwerp) of the 16th century first served as an example. These had been not particularly realistic, having been painted mostly in the studio, partly from imagination. Soon this trend changed: real Dutch landscapes became prevalent. Drawings were made on site. Horizons were lowered, which made it possible to emphasize the often impressive cloud formations that were (and are) so typical in the climate of the region, and which cast a different light. Favourite topics were the dunes along the western sea coast, rivers with their broad adjoining meadows where cattle grazed, often a silhouette of a city in the distance. Winter landscapes, with frozen canals and creeks, also abounded. Of course the sea was a favourite topic as well (after all the Low Countries depended on the sea for trade, battled with it over new grounds and battled on it with competing nations). Pictures of sea battles told the stories of a Dutch navy at the pinnacle of its glory. The Harvesters, by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, 1565: Peace and agriculture in a pre-Romantic ideal landscape, without sublime terrors Landscape art depicts scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees, rivers and forests. ... Antwerp is the northernmost province of Flanders and of Belgium. ...

A classic Dutch still life, by Willem Claeszoon Heda.

Architecture also fascinated the Dutch, churches in particular. Buildings were reproduced faithfully, either their exterior or interior. During the century insights into the proper rendering of perspective grew and were enthusiastically applied. Willem Claeszoon Heda (c. ...

Still lifes

Still lifes were a great opportunity to show one's aptitude in painting textures and surfaces in great detail and with realistic light effects. Food of all kinds laid out on a table, silver cutlery, intricate patterns and subtle folds in table clothing, flowers, it all formed a challenge for fine painters. Painters from Leiden particularly excelled in the genre. A still life is a work of art which represents a subject composed of inanimate objects. ... Leyden redirects here. ...

The most famous Dutch painters of the 17th century were: Ferdinand Bol, Albert Cuyp, Gerard Dou, Willem Drost, Carel Fabritius, Govert Flinck, Jan van Goyen, Frans Hals, Pieter de Hooch, Pieter Pieterszoon Lastman, Jan Lievens, Nicolaes Maes, Adriaen van Ostade, Paulus Potter, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, Pieter Saenredam, Jan Steen, Johannes Vermeer. Ferdinand Bol (born in June 24, 1616 in Dordrecht - died August 24, 1680 in Amsterdam) was a Dutch artist, etcher, and draftsman. ... The Negro Page Aelbert Jacobsz Cuyp (October 20, 1620 _ November 15, 1691) was one of the predominant Dutch landscape painters of the 17th century. ... Gerhard Douw (spelling variants Gerard, Gerrit, Dou, Dow) (April 7, 1613–February 9, 1675) was a Dutch painter. ... Willem Drost (1633 - 1659) was a Dutch Baroque painter and printmaker. ... Self-portrait by Fabritius(1654) Carel Fabritius (1622-1654) was a Dutch painter and one of Rembrandts most gifted pupils. ... Landscape Govert (or Govaert) Teuniszoon Flinck (January 25, 1615 - February 2, 1660) was a Dutch painter of the Dutch Golden Age. ... River Scene Jan van Goyen (January 13, 1596 - April 27, 1656) was a Dutch landscape painter. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Musical Party in a Courtyard (1677) Pieter de Hooch (pronounced Hoak, also spelled Hoogh or Hooghe) (1629 - 1684) was a genre painter during the Dutch Golden Age. ... Pieter Lastman (1583 - 1633) was a painter from Amsterdam, the Netherlands. ... Jan Lievens(1607-1674) was a painter from Leiden. ... Old Woman Dozing by Nicolaes Maes (1656) Oil on canvas, 135 x 105 cm. ... Peasants in a Tavern by Adriaen van Ostade (c. ... The young bull, 2. ... Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (July 15, 1606 – October 4, 1669) is generally considered one of the greatest painters in European art history and the most important in Dutch history. ... Self Portrait as a Lutenist (1660-63) Jan Havickszoon Steen (born 1626 (?) in Leiden, died January 1, 1679 in Leiden) was a Dutch painter of the 17th century (also known as the Dutch Golden Age). ... Milkmaid (1658-1660) Johannes Vermeer (October 31, 1632 - buried on December 15, 1675) was a Dutch painter, who lived and worked in Delft. ...

References

For more details and many more painters see Dutch Golden Age, List Of People - Painters The Dutch Golden Age was a period in Dutch history, roughly equivalent to the 17th century, in which Dutch trade, science and art were top ranking in the world. ...