Author: Peter Kostense

Frans Hals (1582 – 1666), a family (portrait) reunited!

This is the story of a rich merchant family from 17th Century Haarlem in The Netherlands. Or it’s actually the story of a portrait of that family. Gijsbrecht and Maria van Campen celebrated in 1624 their 20th wedding anniversary, by ordering a family portrait from the famous Dutch painter Frans Hals. They wanted to be portrayed in grand style, together with their 13 children. And that became a big painting of nearly 4 meters long. Almost too big to fit in any house. Oh, small detail indeed, after the painting was finished, child nr 14 was born. It’s a daughter, and she conveniently got photoshopped into the painting in the bottom left corner. Not by Frans Hals but by Salomon de Bray (1597 – 1664), another famous painter from Haarlem.

Proposed reconstruction of the original Van Campen Family portrait (1624) as painted by Frans Hals (1582 – 1666).

Frans Hals was a popular portrait painter, who lived and worked in Haarlem. He depicted his clients in an informal realistic and relaxed way, but certainly grand and with elegance. Exactly how a liberal “new-rich” successful merchant wants to be depicted. It should be old-style “royal”, but in an informal modern way. Think how the European royal families of these days like to be photographed: royal and grand, but informal at the same time!

Frans Hals (1582 – 1666), “Van Campen Family Portrait in a Landscape” (1624), 151x164cm, Oil on Canvas, Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Ohio.
Frans Hals (1582 – 1666), “Children of the Van Campen Family with a Goat Cart” (1624), 151x108cm, Oil on Canvas, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels.

The picture with the parents and their 14 children as shown here above is a reconstruction. Of the original painting, three pieces still exist: “Van Campen Family in a Landscape” in the Toledo Museum of Art, “Children of the Van Campen Family with a Goat Cart” in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium and “Head of a Young Boy” in a private collection. For the first time in two hundred years, the three surviving pieces of this monumental family portrait are on view side by side at an exhibition in the Fondation Custodia in Paris (until August 25, 2019.

Frans Hals (1582 – 1666), “Head of a Young Boy” detail from “Van Campen Family Portrait in a Landscape” (1624), Private Collection.

The descendants of the Van Campens decided to cut their family portrait into pieces and sell it as separate “Frans Hals” paintings. The original painting was rather big and difficult to fit in any decent house and almost unsellable in its original format. And by cutting in into pieces, one actually creates even more paintings by the famous Frans Hals! Now, after a few hundreds of years, those three individual paintings have been puzzled together to reunite the parents and children Van Campen in one family portrait. In modern times, you sometimes edit someone out of a picture. But here we are happy to put a family with 14 children together again. The original piece with the portrayal of the two children in the bottom right corner is still missing. If you happen to know the whereabouts of these two kids, please do contact me or the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels.

Reconstruction of “Van Campen Family Portrait in a Landscape” (1624) by Frans Hals. The child at the bottom left was added by Salomon de Bray. The part in grey is still missing.

John Constable (1776 – 1837)

On June 11th, 1776, birth of John Constable, English landscape painter. Now considered one of the greatest English painters, but during his life more successful outside England than at home. From Suffolk, England, Constable spent almost his whole life painting the local landscape, with clouds full of rain. His paintings show the England we know from Jane Austen and Downton Abbey. It all looks very romantic, and even the endless rain and clouds have their own charm.

John Constable (1776 – 1837), “Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop’s Garden” (1826), 89x112cm, Oil on Canvas, The Frick Collection, New York.

Here is Constable’s “Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop’s Garden”, from 1826. Painted for his friend the Bishop of Salisbury. The Bishop and his wife are standing in the front and he points out to the spire of the cathedral. An earlier version of this painting exists (in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum), but when the Bishop had seen that version he asked Constable if the weather could maybe be a bit more sunny. That’s why this second version has more blue sky. Apparently even for the English themselves, the endless clouds and rain can become too much. In our modern days of Instagram, one would put a filter over it. And that’s what Constable did by painting this second and more sunny version. Unfortunately the Bishop died just before his “sunny” painting was completed. It’s now on view in the Frick Collection, New York.

John Constable (1776 – 1837), “Stonehenge” (1835), 39x60cm, Watercolor, Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Also here is Constable’s wonderful 1835 watercolor painting of the Stonehenge ruins. This watercolor expresses sadness. Its painted after his dear beloved wife passed away and left him alone with their seven children. Constable was extremely sad and deep grief came over him. Look now at this painting. We see one strong remote set of stones standing in the centre, all other pieces have fallen to earth. But lonely as these remote standing stones are, there is hope. A beam of light (or is it a rainbow?) gives warmth and power. I think Constable is expressing his feelings here and also uses this painting to cope with his grief. Constable is like that lonely standing piece. Everything around him fell down, but Constable knows that he needs to cope with his losses. This beautiful Stonehenge watercolor painting confirms to me the healing strength of art. Constable himself said: “Painting is but another word for feeling”.

Pentecost

What is Pentecost and how is it depicted in art? Pentecost (UK: Whitsunday; NL: Pinksteren) is a Christian holy day, that must be seen in connection with Easter and the Ascension of Christ. It’s celebrated 50 days after Easter Sunday, and 10 days after Ascension Day. The word “Pentecost” comes from the Greek word “Πεντηκοστή” and simply means “fiftieth”. What happened is the following: Easter is the moment of the crucifixion and resurrection; at Ascension Day the physical body of Christ goes up to heaven and with Pentecost the spirit of Christ comes back to earth in the form of the Holy Ghost. And the Holy Ghosts descend upon the Apostles, the disciples of Christ, so that they can start spreading His word around the world.

El Greco (1541 – 1614), “Pentecost” (c. 1600), 275x127cm, Oil on Canvas, Museo del Prado, Madrid.

This can be depicted with great drama. Look at El Greco’s painting from c. 1600. The Apostles and Maria are being covered by light and flames coming down from above, and the Holy Ghost is descending in its classic form of a white dove. Their hands up in wonder, and their faces with big glorious admiration. Drama galore! Small mundane detail: the second apostle from the right in the top row has been given the portrait of El Greco himself, and he is the only one looking at us viewers.

If I may demystify this moment a bit, than let’s look at the fresco by Giotto from the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, painted roughly 300 years before the El Greco painting. It’s the Apostles, sitting together in a meeting session. It’s a few weeks after the moment Christ left them, and can it be that they are going from a mourning phase into a phase of accepting what happened? They are discussing how to move forward and they are deciding to spread the good word of Christ around the world. They seem to have received a sparkle of hope; they are seeing now light in darkness. Giotto depicted this moment as rays of light (or fire) coming from above and spreading over the Apostles. Compare this to the El Greco painting where this abstract concept of seeing light in darkness has been turned into a visual concrete drama with rays of light, the dove and flames descending upon the Apostles.

Giotto (c. 1267 – 1337), “Pentecost”, (c. 1304), 185x200cm, Fresco, Capella degli Scrovegni, Padua.

And to put Ascension and Pentecost next to each other, please look at these 17th Century Dutch prints: Ascension as the physical movement of Christ up to heaven and Pentecost as the spiritual movement of the Holy Ghost down from heaven.

  • Ascension of Christ
  • Pentecost; descent of the Holy Ghost

Saint Luke the Evangelist

Who is Saint Luke and how to recognize him in art? Luke is one of the Four Evangelists and the author of the Gospel of Luke, one of the New Testament books that describe the life of Christ. Luke is definitely a historic figure, who lived in the 1st Century and originally came from the then Greek city of Antioch, now on the Turkish-Syrian border. He was an physician, painter and writer and died at the age of 84. As he is one of the Four Evangelists, he became pretty popular and important in Western art. Luke was also a physician, and thus his name is used for many Saint Luke Hospitals all over the world.

Guercino (1591 – 1666), “Saint Luke Displaying a Painting of the Virgin” (1652), 221x180cm, Oil on Canvas, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City.

In the 8th Century a story popped up telling that Luke once painted a portrait of the Virgin Mary with the Christ child. Most likely just a cute legend, but it helps with recognizing Luke in art. He is shown as a painter at work, and his model is the Virgin. This also made Luke become the patron saint of painters. He gave his name to the Guilds of Saint Luke, which were the trade unions for painters in the 16th and 17th Century. Here is a 1652 painting by Guercino. Saint Luke shows the viewer his painting with the Virgin and Child. And look what’s on the table behind him. It’s a book. That refers to the Gospel he wrote. And on the book is an inkstand in the form of an ox. And the ox is the very most common attribute to recognize Saint Luke the Evangelist. The other three Evangelists also have their own symbols: Matthew – angel; Marcus – lion; John – eagle.

Here is another painting, from c. 1603, by El Greco (“The Greek”). His real name is Doménikos Theotokópoulos, a Greek painter but mainly living and working in Toledo in Spain. El Greco painted this magnificent portrait of Saint Luke for the Toledo Cathedral where it still can be seen. He must have felt close to Saint Luke, as they both came from Greece. Saint Luke shows us the Gospel, and his painting of the Virgin and Child is now incorporated in the Gospel book itself.

El Greco (1541 – 1614), “Saint Luke the Evangelist” (c. 1603), 100x76cm, Oil on Canvas, Toledo Cathedral, Spain.

Most common is to depict Luke as a writer, together with an ox or a bull, which animal became Luke’s trademark symbol. The ox or bull, as an animal often used for offers, refers to Christ’s sacrifice and crucifixion. Here are a few Dutch Old Master prints from series with the Four Evangelists. The person writing, depicted together with an ox, can only be Saint Luke the Evangelist. Once you make the link between Luke and the ox, it will be super easy to recognize this saint.

Jan Lievens (1607 – 1674)

Jan Lievens (1606 – 1674), “Samson and Delilah” (c. 1632), 131x111cm, Oil on Canvas, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

On the 4th of June 1674, death of Jan Lievens, Dutch Golden Age painter and friend, colleague and rival of Rembrandt. Only a year younger than Rembrandt, they grew up together in Leiden and shared a studio in Amsterdam. Rembrandt became the well known favorite of all times, and Lievens always stayed in his shadow. But let’s look now at Jan Lievens’ “Samson and Delilah” painted around 1632. The story is from the Old Testament (Judges 16: 17-20) and goes as follows. The Israelite Samson is the strong invincible super-hero. Delilah is a treacherous smart woman, bribed by the Philistines, who seduces Samson into telling her the secret of his heroic strength. He tells her that he will lose his strength when his hair will be cut. When Samson falls asleep on her lap, she hands a pair of scissors to a frightened Philistine and in the next scene Samson’s powerful hairlocks will be gone. This is a scene of terror and suspense. On the painting it’s the moment when Samson still has all his strength, and the Philistine guy knows that and looks pretty anxious. But Delilah is determined and Samson’s hair (and strength!) will be gone in a second. This subject appeals to the viewer for a few reasons. It’s about a strong muscled guy, who now sleeps like a baby and will be powerless very soon. It’s also about women being smart and able to seduce men. And there is a moral: strong as you may be as a man, you are weak in the arms of a beautiful woman. And Lievens is depicting the moment when Samson still has all his power and strength. It can all still go wrong! There is suspense in this part of the story!

Here is also a painting that’s actually more a sketch. Over the centuries this small painting has been attributed on and off to Rembrandt or to Lievens. There are endless discussions between historians of art who the artists is behind this painting. Its for sure from the Rembrandt/Lievens studio, from around 1626, and it shows again the terrifying moment just before the cutting of Samson’s hair. Currently this painting is attributed to Rembrandt.

Attributed to Rembrandt (1606 – 1669), “Samson and Delilah” (c. 1626), 28x24cm, Oil on Panel, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

In the days of Rembrandt and Lievens, artists were using prints as source of inspiration. It could very well be that the below print has been seen by Rembrandt and Lievens. It’s a print from 1611 by the Dutch artist Jacob Matham, after a painting by Rubens made in 1609. Most likely Lievens and Rembrandt have never seen the Rubens painting and only know the work through the Matham print. Rubens is depicting the moment of cutting the hair. But Rembrandt and Lievens choose the moment just before that, creating masterly that sense of terror and suspense. It can still go wrong! That’s like a Hitchcock thriller, but painted in the 17th century!

  • Print by Matham after Rubens
  • Painting by Peter Paul Rubens

The Four Evangelists

The Four Evangelists are the ones who wrote the four gospels in the New Testament, which is the second volume of the Bible. These gospels describe the life of Christ and are therefore in essence four times the same story but written by four different authors. The word “evangelist” comes from the Greek word εὐ-αγγέλιον (eu-angelion), which means “the good message”; εὔ = good, αγγέλιον = message. The word “angel” has the same origin and actually means “messenger”. The authors of these 4 gospel-books are the Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Jacob Jordaens (1593 – 1678), “The Four Evangelists” (1625), 133x118cm, Oil on Canvas, Musée du Louvre, Paris.

The Four Evangelists are mostly depicted separately, but here is a 1625 painting by Jacob Jordaens in which they form a group. It’s clearly a group of four wise men, writing books. And therefore these can immediately be identified as the Four Evangelists. Identifying the individual evangelists is the next step. Each of them has his own symbol, and that’ the easy way to recognize them. That can be seen on the painting (c. 1614) by the Utrecht painter Abraham Bloemaert. Luke’s symbol is the ox, Mark has a lion, John his eagle, and for Matthew it’s an angel. It’s still the group of the Four Evangelists, together in one painting. But in most cases they are depicted in individual pictures, and as there are four of them, it’s excellent for series of four paintings, prints and even sculptures. Look for the ox, lion, eagle or angel and you know who is who.

Abraham Bloemaert (1566 – 1651), “The Four Evangelists” (c. 1614), 179x227cm, Oil on Canvas, Princeton University Art Museum.

Here are two Dutch Old Master prints from a series of the Four Evangelists. It’s Saint Matthew with the angel, and Saint John with the eagle. And both of them are receiving holy and spiritual inspiration for writing their gospel: the Gospel according to Matthew and the Gospel according to John. Prints from 1606 by Crispijn van de Passe after paintings by Gortzius Geldorp, 42x30cm, Engraving on Paper, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

  • Saint Matthew
  • Saint John

Peter Paul Rubens (1577 – 1640)

On the 30th of May, 1640, death of Peter Paul Rubens, the most important Baroque painter from the Flemish Netherlands. Rubens was not only a well-educated scholar and painter, but also businessman and diplomat. He made religious altarpieces, portraits of royalty, mythological paintings and hunting landscapes. All his paintings are impressive big pieces with lots of color and typical Baroque-emphasized movement and sensuality. He run a large studio in Antwerp which is now the Rubenshuis Museum.

Peter Paul Rubens (1577 – 1640), “The Descent from the Cross” (1613), 420x320cm, Oil on Panel, Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp, Belgium.

Here are two of his paintings. It’s “The Descent from the Cross” (1613), which is the 4×3 meters magnificent central panel of a triptych, which is still in its original place in the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp, Belgium. The body of Christ is lowered from the cross, with very energetic support of Saint John (in the red mantle). Mary Magdalena is gracefully supporting Christ’ leg and Mary, a mother in despair, is stretching out her arms towards her son. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus are placed on both sides of the scenel.

Also here is a 2×3 meters big painting of the legendary hero “Daniel in the Lions’ Den” (1614). Chief counselor to the Persian king, Daniel fell victim to his jealous co-officials. They plotted against him and threw him into a den of lions. But that plot truly failed! Daniel keeps on staring up and praying towards the light of heaven. And he stayed unharmed! Next day he was freed without a single scratch. A strong moral: look up when things get you down; keep your head up and think positive!

Peter Paul Rubens (1577 – 1640), “Daniel in the Lions’ Den” (1614), 224x351cm, Oil on Canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington.

Mannerism

Bronzino (1503 – 1572), “An Allegory with Venus and Cupid” (1545), 146x116cm, Oil on Wood, The National Gallery, London.

Mannerism is a European art style that follows Renaissance and precedes Baroque, originating in Italy around 1520 and spreading over Europe. Mannerism lasted until the end of the 16th Century, when Mannerism gradually turned into the Baroque style.

How did Mannerism originate and what is it all about? The artists from the Renaissance, like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, excelled in painting and sculpting ideal beauty, balanced proportions and ultimate elegance. Their art had reached the top of what could be achieved; Renaissance was considered the peak of perfection. That gave the next generation of artists a feeling that they had not much to add anymore, and therefor they started to search for additional artistry on top of the Renaissance skills and values. This next generation started to add wisdom and intelligence to their art. And that resulted in a “manner” of over-sophisticated elegance. Mannerism is more about artificial and intellectual beauty than the perfect natural beauty from the Renaissance times.

The word “Mannerism” comes from the Italian word “maniera”, meaning “manner”. The Mannerist painters were painting in the “manner” of Renaissance painters like Michelangelo, but topped it up with their own intellectual and sophisticated inventions. One could say that they overdid it a bit. The mannerist artists tried to exceed Renaissance art, but that resulted in an overcomplicated way of depicting nature. And ultimately that was followed by the even more complex manner of depicting beauty during the Baroque.

Look at Bronzino’s “An Allegory with Venus and Cupid” (1545). It’s an almost bizarre composition and an exaggerated anatomy of figures. It reminds us of Michelangelo, but with an over-the-top approach of beauty. And the meaning behind this painting is so over-intellectual, that one hardly understands what it is about. It’s passion and play, time and despair, love and seduction; with every figure having it’s own symbolic meaning and art historians nowadays in doubt of the actual meaning. Or look at the Virgin Mary with Child (1540) by Parmigianino. In his efforts to create more elegance, Parmigianino gave his figures those long stretched bodies. And ironically, the painting is now just known as “The Madonna with the Long Neck”. Both Bronzino and Parmigianino want to express that there is more to achieve than the old-fashioned way of traditional Renaissance painting. They show the viewer their new “manner” of dealing with art and beauty. Mannerist painters proudly created Modern Art in the 16th Century.

Parmigianino (1503 – 1540), “The Madonna with the Long Neck” (c. 1537), 216x132cm, Oil on Wood, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.

Pontormo (1494 – 1557)

Pontormo (1494 – 1557), “Visitation of the Virgin and Saint Elizabeth” (1528), Oil on Board”, 202x156cm, Church of San Michele e San Francesco, Carmignano, Italy.

On the 24th of May, 1494, birth of Jacopo Carucci da Pontormo, simply known as Pontormo. He is famous for his Mannerist way of painting, with figures in a floating, almost dancing, manner. Pontormo painted in and around Florence, often supported by the Medici family. Here is Pontormo’s “Visitation of the Virgin and Saint Elizabeth”, housed in the church of San Francesco e Michele in Carmignano, about 20 km west of Florence. The Visitation is the visit of the Virgin Mary, who was pregnant with Jesus, to Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist, (Luke 1:39–56).

Pontormo’s work was quite out of fashion for several centuries. Though he has received renewed attention by contemporary art historians. Indeed, in 2002, Pontormo’s “Portrait of a Halberdier” was the world’s most expensive painting by an Old Master. The Halberdier holds a halberd, a combination of spear and battle-axe. The sitter’s identity has been much discussed. It could be the young nobleman Francesco Guardi at the age of around fifteen. But it has also been suggested that the portrait represents Cosimo de’ Medici himself.

Pontormo (1494 – 1557), “Portrait of a Halberdier (Francesco Guardi?)” (1529), Oil on Panel transferred to Canvas, 95x73cm, The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.

Pontormo’s closest pupil was Bronzino, who followed Pontormo’s style. Of several paintings it’s disputed if the author is Pontormo or Bronzino.

Albrecht Dürer exhibition

Albertina, Vienna
20 September 2019 – 6 January 2020

Albrecht Dürer (1471 – 1528), “Hare” (1502), Watercolor on Paper, 25x23cm, Albertina, Vienna.

With its nearly 140 works by Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528), the Albertina Museum in Vienna is home to the world’s largest and most important collection of drawings by this artist. This exhibition also includes valuable international loan works in order to present Dürer’s drawn, printed, and painted oeuvres as equally great artistic achievements. And with reference to the distinctive works on exhibit, the exhibition also offers insights into the latest research findings.

The works by Albrecht Dürer at the Albertina are of particular interest in terms of the collection’s history: their provenance can be traced back to the year of the artist’s death in an unbroken line. The museum thus holds a group of works from the artist’s own workshop that have been together for nearly 500 years. Prominent here are Dürer’s family portraits, his famous studies of animals and plants, and his head, hand, and clothing studies on colored paper. The Albertina’s Dürer collection thus offers the ideal starting point from which to reconstruct the activities of Dürer’s workshop and also explore this artist’s personal, early humanist notion of art.

(From the museum’s website)

Albrecht Dürer (1471 – 1528), “Praying Hands” (1508), Pen-and-Ink Drawing on Paper, 29x20cm, Albertina, Vienna.

Albrecht Dürer (1471 – 1528)

Albrecht Dürer  (1471–1528), “Saint Jerome” (1521), Oil on Panel, 60x48cm, Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Lissabon.

On the 21st of May, 1471, birth of Albrecht Dürer, painter, drawer and printmaker, and one of the key artists of the Northern Renaissance.  Dürer’s printmaking has been of immense influence on generations of painters, all of whom had printmakers copy their works in prints, to be able to distribute their art. Dürer was born in Nuremberg, Germany, where his father was a successful goldsmith. He made a few trips to Italy and contributed greatly to the exchange of knowledge and skills between the Italian and Northern Renaissance. Back in Germany Dürer dedicated himself to printmaking, mainly woodcuts and engravings, turning printmaking into an art of its own right. Dürer is considered one of the most famous artists of his time.

Here is Dürer’s painting of Saint Jerome. It’s more a portrait of an old wise man and only little details like the inkpot and bookrest remind us that this is a scholar sitting in his study. Saint Jerome was a Christian theologian, best known for his translation of the Bible into Latin. But look how he is pointing at the skull. Saint Jerome reminds us of our mortality and the vanity of earthly life and goods.

The Albertina in Vienna keeps four of Dürer’s preparatory sketches for the painting; see hereunder. Dürer’s handwritten note on the drawing of the Saint Jerome’s head, gives us information about the model: “The man was 93 years old and still healthy”. The three other sketches are details of the painting, all brush drawings on gray violet primed paper highlighted in white tempera, and from 1521, Fotos: © Albertina, Vienna.

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Albrecht Dürer  (1471–1528), “Study of a Man Aged 93” (1521), 42x28cm, Albertina, Vienna.

Jacob Jordaens (1593 – 1678)

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Jacob Jordaens (1593 – 1678), “Susanna and the Elders” (1653), Oil on Canvas, 203x154cm, National Gallery of Denmark, Copenhagen.

On the 19th of May, 1593, birth of Jacob Jordaens, one of the top Flemish Baroque painters. Here is his “Susanna and the Elders“. The painting learns us that the concept of female beauty is changing over time. The story in a nutshell: as Susanna bathes in her garden, two lustful elders observe her and threaten to claim that she was meeting a young man unless she agrees to come with them. Susanna refuses to be blackmailed and at the end virtue triumphs. Look at the dog! It’s the symbol of fidelity and he is already barking at the elders.

Leonardo da Vinci; A Life In Drawing, exhibition

The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London
24 May 2019 – 13 October 2019

The head of Judas (c. 1495)
The head of Leda (c.1506)

Marking the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci, the exhibition in the Queen’s Gallery in Buckingham Palace brings together more than 200 of the Renaissance master’s greatest drawings from the Royal Collection.

Drawing served as Leonardo’s laboratory, allowing him to work out his ideas on paper and search for the universal laws that he believed underpinned all of creation. The drawings by Leonardo in the Royal Collection have been together as a group since the artist’s death in 1519. Acquired during the reign of Charles II (King of England from 1660 to 1685), they provide an unparalleled insight into the workings of Leonardo’s mind and reflect the full range of his interests, including painting, sculpture, architecture, anatomy, engineering, cartography, geology and botany. Leonardo died at Amboise in France on 2 May 1519, aged 67. He was careful to leave his drawings – perhaps 2000 or more loose sheets, and dozens of notebooks – to his pupil Francesco Melzi. Most of these drawings have survived to the present day, but widely published and understood only from the late nineteenth century. We now have a greater understanding of Leonardo’s life, work and thought than at any time since his death, and – primarily through his drawings – an insight into one of the greatest minds of the Renaissance. (From the museum’s website)

Leonardo da Vinci, The seed-heads of two rushes (Scirpus lacustris and Cyperus sp.), with notes (c. 1510), 20x15cm, Royal Collection.

Leonardo da Vinci exhibition

Louvre, Paris
24 October 2019 – 24 February 2020

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Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519), “La Belle Ferronnière” (c. 1493), 62x44cm, Louvre Abu Dhabi.

The year 2019 marks the 500-year anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci, of particular importance for the Louvre. The museum is seizing the opportunity in this year of commemorations to gather as many of the artist’s paintings as possible around the five core works in its collections: The Virgin of the Rocks, La Belle Ferronnière, the Mona Lisa (which will remain in the gallery where it is normally displayed), the Saint John the Baptist, and the Saint Anne. The objective is to place them alongside a wide array of drawings as well as a small but significant series of paintings and sculptures from the master’s circle.

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Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519), “Saint John the Baptist” (c.1515), 69x57cm, Louvre, Paris

This unprecedented retrospective of da Vinci’s painting career will illustrate how he placed utmost importance on painting, and how his  investigation of the world, which he referred to as “the science of painting,” was the instrument of his art, seeking nothing less than to bring life to his paintings. The exhibition will paint the portrait of a man and an artist of extraordinary freedom. (From the museum’s website)

Time slots to be booked in advance. The reservation service will be open as of June 18, 2019 at www.ticketlouvre.fr

Nicolaes Maes exhibition

Mauritshuis, The Hague
17 October, 2019 – 19 January, 2020

Nicolaes Maes (1634 – 1693), “The Old Lacemaker” (1655), Oil on Panel, 39x36cm, Mauritshuis, The Hague.

The Mauritshuis will present an exhibition on Nicolaes Maes, one of Rembrandt’s most talented pupils. It is the first big international exhibition showcasing this artist, with more than 30 paintings and highlighting all aspects of Maes’ varied oeuvre. Maes started his career painting biblical representations, which clearly show his master´s influence. In subsequent years he painted intimate domestic scenes, which usually focussed on women engaged in household chores. Beginning in the 1660s, Maes developed an elegant style of portraiture that was popular with his clients in Dordrecht and Amsterdam. Featuring over thirty paintings the exhibition shows all aspects of Maes’s varied oeuvre. (From the museum’s website)

Nicolaes Maes (1634 – 1693), “Portrait of Catharina Dierquens (1664-1715)”, (c. 1682), Oil on Canvas, 57x46cm, Mauritshuis, The Hague.

Rembrandt’s Light, exhibition

Dulwich Picture Gallery, London
4 October 2019 – 2 February 2020

Rembrandt (1606 – 1669), “Philemon and Baucis “ (1658), 55x69cm, National Gallery of Art, Washington.

This 2019 is the Year of Rembrandt, with celebrations taking place throughout Europe to mark 350 years since the artist’s death (1669). Dulwich Picture Gallery will stage London’s Rembrandt moment with an innovative exhibition that aims to refresh the way that we look at works by this incomparable Dutch Master. Along with many firsts, this show will bring the captivating painting Philemon and Baucis (National Gallery of Art, Washington) to the UK for the first time.

Rembrandt (1606 – 1669), “The Artist’s Studio” (1659), drawing, 22x24cm, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.  

Arranged thematically the exhibition will trace Rembrandt’s innovation: from evoking a meditative mood, to lighting people, to creating impact and drama. Highlights will include three of Rembrandt’s most famous images of women: A Woman Bathing in a Stream, A Woman in Bed and the Gallery’s inimitable Girl at a Window which will be displayed side-by-side for the first time. It will also include two works from Gemäldegalerie, Berlin, never displayed before in the UK. (From the museum’s website)

Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519)

Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519), Mona Lisa or La Gioconda or Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, Oil on Panel, 77x53cm, The Louvre Museum, Paris.

Today 500 years ago, on May 2, 1519, Leonardo da Vinci dies in Amboise in France. He spent his last years in the service of his good friend Francis I, King of France. Already during his lifetime considered a super genius, and now thought to be one of the greatest artists and scientists of all time. Inventor, painter, drawer, engineer, writer, musician, botanist, historian; Leonardo is the epitome of the Uomo Universale. As painter he left us only around 15 paintings, but one of those is the most famous painting of all. Here is Leonardo’s “Mona Lisa”. The name is a contraction of Ma Donna Lisa, which means My Lady Lisa. It’s Lisa Gherardini who is portrayed here, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo. And that gives the painting it’s other name “La Gioconda”, which translates as “The Joyful Lady”. Her mysterious smile attracts millions of visitors to the Louvre Museum in Paris, where it’s listed as acquired by Francis I and having entered the French royal collection in 1518.

Jules Breton (1827 – 1906)

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Jules Breton (1827 – 1906), “The Song Of The Lark” (1884), Oil on Canvas, 110 x 85 cm, The Art Institute of Chicago.

Jules Breton, born on the 1st of May, 1827, was a 19th-century French Romantic-Realist painter. His paintings are influenced by the French countryside and rural peasant life. Breton transmits the hardship of rural existence into romantic and idyllic beauty. Here is his painting “The Song Of The Lark”, from 1884. The poor farmer girl has a day of hard work ahead, but she is catching the beauty of the moment of sunrise and the pleasing melodic song of that tiny lark high up in the sky. It’s a moment of power of nature, which might give the girl the strength to go through the day ahead. When painted, the nostalgic of the hard working peasant class appealed to the salons of the Paris elite. But everyone, rich and poor, feels the warmth of the sun at dawn and enjoys the power of the song of a lark.

Joaquín Sorolla (1863 – 1923)

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Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (1863 – 1923), “Paseo a Orillas del Mar (Walk on the Beach)” (1909), Oil on Canvas, 205x200cm, Museo Sorolla, Madrid.

On February 27, 1863, birth of Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, Spanish impressionist painter. Famous for painting people and landscapes under the bright Spanish sunlight and with sunlit water. Here is Sorolla’s “Paseo a Orillas del Mar” (Walk on the Beach), painted on the beach of Valencia and depicting his wife Clotilde and daughter Maria. The effect of the breeze on the dresses gives an impression of fleeting momentary; it’s a painting like a snapshot photo. On view in Madrid’s Museo Sorolla, which was the artist’s house and studio.

Odilon Redon (1840 – 1916)

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Odilon Redon (1840 – 1916), “Ophelia among the Flowers” (1905), Pastel on Paper, 64x91cm, National Gallery, London.

On April 20, 1840, birth of Odilon Redon. French symbolist painter who combined the macabre with beauty and light. Redon’s paintings are a synthesis of nightmares and dreams, as in “Ophelia among the Flowers” from 1905. Ophelia is a character from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Towards the end of the the play she drowns in a pond, surrounded by flowers.

Jacob van Hulsdonck (1582 – 1647)

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Jacob van Hulsdonck (1582 – 1647), “Roses in a Glass Vase” (c. 1640), Oil on Copper on Panel, 35x28cm, Mauritshuis, The Hague.

Jacob van Hulsdonck, born April 26, 1582, Flemish painter of still-lives and flowers. Here are his Roses in a Glass Vase. It’s white and red roses, plus an eglantine-rose (Dutch: “egelantier”) in the top left of the picture. Executed with great precision throughout, from the water droplets on the petals to the maybeetle in the foreground to the right. There is also symbolism in this painting. White and red roses are representing female “pure” and male “erotic” love; here arranged in harmony. The eglantine-rose, as symbol of scared and profane love, makes this painting a “Bouquet d’Amour”.