Ch20 The Baroque in Northern Europe
Grand Manner
An elevated style of painting popular in the eighteenth century in which the artist looked to the ancients and to the Renaissance for inspiration; for portraits as well as history painting, the artist would adopt the poses, compositions, and attitudes of the Renaissance and antique models.
Aerial view of palace at Versailles, France, begun 1669, and a portion of the gardens and surrounding area. The white trapezoid in the lower part of the plan (FIG. 24-68) outlines the area shown here.
Army of architects, decorators, sculptors, painters and landscape architects was assembled under the general management of Charles Le Brun (converted simple lodge into the palace) = greatest architectural project of the age Defining statement of French Baroque style - symbol of Louis XIV's power and ambition Plan called for palace, park and satellite city The three radial avenues of the city converged on the palace intersecting in the king's bedroom (symbolic- ruler's absolute power over his domains) King's bedroom was an audience room, a state chamber Palace- more than a quarter of a mile long
Atmospheric perspective
Creating the illusion of depth of space by fading colors and eliminating detail in objects that are further away.
HYACINTHE RIGAUD Louis XIV, 1701 Oil on canvas, approx. 9' 2" x 6' 3" Louvre, Paris.
Depicts image of absolute monarch in control/ at age 63, the king looks directly at the viewer/ the pose suggests a haughtiness - hand on hip, elegant coronation robe thrown over shoulder, king is focal point in composition and looks down on the viewer Louis XIV was short (5'4") and the red-heeled shoes he wears were invented for him Louis XIV kept a workshop of artists, each with a specialization- faces, fabric, armor, etc. = many of king's portraits were a group effort
JACQUES CALLOT Hanging Tree, from the Large Miseries of War series 1633 Etching, 3 3/4" x 7 1/4" Bibiliothèque Nationale, Paris.
Conveyed a sense of military life of the times in a series of etchings called Large Miseries of War Was a master of etching/ Rembrandt influenced by his work in this medium In one small print, he assembled as many as 1,200 figures/ drawings based on events he himself must have seen in the wars in Lorraine Hanging Tree - mass execution by hanging (thieves)/ takes place in presence of disciplined army/ monk climbs ladder holding up a crucifix/ men roll dice on a drumhead for the belongings of the executed/ at right in foreground, hooded priest consoles a bound man Among first realistic pictorial record of the human disaster of armed conflict
INIGO JONES Banqueting House at Whitehall London, England 1619-1622.
Common law and the Parliament kept royal power in check in England/ England experienced both limited monarchy and constitutionalism/ Religion was not an issue like on the continent/ Economically took advantage of overseas trade/ had large and powerful navy INIGO JONES - architect to kings James I and Charles I JONES spent lots of time in Italy, admired classical style and Palladio's structures JONES took many motifs from Palladio's villas and palaces and he adopted Palladio's basic design principles for his own architecture Banqueting House at Whitehall - Used symmetrical block for clarity and dignity/ superimposed two orders- columns in center and pilasters on ends/ balustraded roofline The interior is adorned with several important Rubens paintings
CLAUDE LORRAIN Landscape with Cattle and Peasants 1629 Oil on canvas, 3' 6" x 4' 10 1/2" Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia (the George W. Elkins Collection).
For Lorrain, painting involved one theme - the beauty of the broad sky suffused with the golden light of dawn or sunset glowing through a hazy atmosphere and reflecting brilliantly off rippling water Subject of his work remains grounded in classical antiquity/ idealized classical world/ formalized nature Organized with foreground, middle ground and background Atmospheric perspective Like the Dutch painters, he studied actual light and the atmospheric nuances of nature/ he placed tiny value gradations in his work which imitated the actual range of values of outdoor light and shade Lorrain matched the mood of nature with those of human subjects
AELBERT CUYP A Distant View of Dordrecht with a Milkmaid and Four Cows, and Other Figures (The "Large Dort") late 1640s Oil on canvas, approx. 5' 1" ´ 6' 4 7/8" National Gallery, London.
Dutch had unique relationship to the terrain/ after gaining independence from Spain, the Dutch undertook extensive land reclamation project that lasted almost a century/ Dikes and drainage systems built/ Most Dutch families owned and worked their own farms = feeling of closeness to the terrain CUYP - title indicates important location for artist = specific or particularized not idealized/ church can be identified/ dairy cows, shepherds and milkmaid = cornerstone of Dutch agriculture (butter and cheese)/ shows detail = great skill
FRANS HALS The Women Regents of the Old Men's Home at Haarlem 1664 Oil on canvas, 5' 7" x 8' 2" Frans Halsmuseum, Haarlem.
Dutch women populated the labor force in the cities and were often educated/ they were regents of charitable institutions (orphanages, old age homes, etc.) Women Regents - Clearly take their responsibilities seriously (stern, composed, puritanical)/ the monochromatic palette with only white accents of the clothing adds to the painting's restraint
Sir Isaac Newton
English scientist who formulated the law of gravitation that posited a universe operating in accord with natural law (1642-1727)
REMBRANDT VAN RIJN Christ with the Sick around Him Receiving the Children (Hundred Guilder Print) ca. 1649 Etching, approx. 11" x 1' 3 1/4" Pierpont Morgan Library, New York.
Etching - copper plate is covered with a layer of wax or varnish/ artist incises the design into this surface with an etching needle exposing metal below but not cutting into the surface/ plate is immersed into acid, which eats away the exposed parts of the metal/ plate is then inked and print is made/ offers greatest subtlety of line and tone Rembrandt well known for his prints - major source of income for him Hundred Guilder Print - his best known print/ nickname refers to the high price this work brought during his lifetime Print is suffused with a deep and abiding piety/ Christ in center preaches compassionately to the blind, lame and young - central theme is Christian humility and mercy
GEORGES DE LA TOUR Adoration of the Shepherds 1645-1650 Oil on canvas, approx. 3' 6" x 4' 6" Louvre, Paris.
La Tour well known for religious imagery Uses light like Caravaggio/ makes use of night setting and hidden light source (like van Honthorst) Genre scene (peasant- like) of biblical narrative Timeless tableau of simple people The painting is readable to the devout of any religious persuasion Supernatural calm achieved by eliminating motion and emotive gesture (only the light is dramatic), by suppressing surface detail and by simplifying body volumes Contrary elements meet in his work: classical composure, fervent spirituality and genre realism
NICOLAS POUSSIN Et in Arcadia Ego ca. 1655 Oil on canvas, approx. 2' 10" x 4' Louvre, Paris.
I, Too, in Arcadia: His later classical phase/ rational order and stability/ influenced by antique statuary/ female figure may be the spirit of death- reminding the mortals that death is found even in Arcadia In a treatise, Poussin outlined the "grand manner" of classicism: artists must choose great subjects, minute details avoided, no "low" subjects/
REMBRANDT VAN RIJN Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp 1632 Oil on canvas, 5' 3 3/4" x 7' 1 1/4" Mauritshuis, The Hague.
Hals sought to enliven his group portraits, but evenly placed his subjects across the canvas/picture plane/ Rembrandt offset the group of subjects (members of the surgeon's guild) to the paintings left side Rembrandt diagonally placed and foreshortened the corpse The varied poses and facial expressions on each student suggest uniqueness/ individuality Understandably, the focal point of the image is Dr. Tulp, the doctor who is shown displaying the flexors of the cadaver's left arm. Rembrandt notes the doctor's significance by showing him as the only person who wears a hat. Each face displays a facial expression that is deeply personal and psychological.
Louis IV of France
Louis' official symbol is the Sun (which he implied that the world revolved around him!)—he is often referred to as the "Sun King" Louis ruled for 72 years! It was the longest reign in European history Built the palace at Versailles Declared "I am the State"
CLARA PEETERS Still Life with Flowers, Goblet, Dried Fruit, and Pretzels 1611 Oil on panel, 1' 7 3/4" x 2' 1 1/4" Museo del Prado, Madrid.
Peeters was a Flemish artist who was a pioneer in the field of still-life painting/ She laid the groundwork for other Dutch artists like Claesz, Kalf and Ruysch/ She was known for her depictions of food and flowers together and for still lifes that included bread and fruit (known as "breakfast pieces") Right: this still life depicts a typical early 17th century meal It show Peeters skill in painting a wide variety of objects convincingly from the smooth, reflective surfaces of glass and silver goblets to the soft petals of the blooms in the vase Her backgrounds are dark negating any sense of deep space/ she does encroach into the viewer's space with the leaves on the table
PETER PAUL RUBENS drawing of Laocoön ca. 1600-1608 Ambrosiana, Milan. Black-and-white chalk drawing with bistre wash, approx. 1' 7" x 1' 7"
One theme that remained a focus in his work - the human body, draped or undraped, male or female, and freely acting or free to act in an environment of physical forces and other interacting bodies This led him to copy the works of classical antiquity and of the Italian masters = this drawing of Laocoon Black chalk drawing shows the artist's careful study of classical representations of the human form
JUDITH LEYSTER Self-Portrait ca. 1630 Oil on canvas 2' 5 3/8" x 2' 1 5/8" National Gallery of Art, Washington (gift of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Woods Bliss).
Produced wide range of paintings, including still lifes and floral pieces, her specialty was genre scenes such as the comic image seen on the easel in this self- portrait painting Strong training as seen in the detail and precision of her work/ shows the spontaneity of Hals (her teacher)/ she succeeded at communicating a great deal about herself Self-Portrait - she allows the viewer to evaluate her skill/ self-assured with quick smile and relaxed pose/ her elegant attire distinguishes her socially as a member of a well-to-do family = her identity
PIETER CLAESZ Vanitas Still Life 1630s Oil on panel 1' 2" x 1' 11 1/2" Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg
Prosperous Dutch proud of their accomplishments and of accumulated material goods = still lifes became popular Dutch pride is tempered by the ever-present morality and humility central to the Calvinist faith/ this vanitas painting (references to death/mortality) includes the skull, timepiece, tipped glass and cracked walnut, all suggest passage of time or a presence that has disappeared Claesz emphasized the element of time by including a self-portrait (in glass ball)/ this portrait serves to immortalize the subject- the artist himself
PIETER CLASEZ Vanitas Still Life 1630s Oil on panel 1' 2" x 1' 11 1/2" Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg
Prosperous Dutch proud of their accomplishments and of accumulated material goods = still lifes became popular Dutch pride is tempered by the ever-present morality and humility central to the Calvinist faith/ this vanitas painting (references to death/mortality) includes the skull, timepiece, tipped glass and cracked walnut, all suggest passage of time or a presence that has disappeared Claesz emphasized the element of time by including a self-portrait (in glass ball)/ this portrait serves to immortalize the subject- the artist himself
REMBRANDT VAN RIJN Self-Portrait ca. 1659-1660 Oil on canvas, approx. 3' 8 3/4" x 3' 1" The Iveagh Bequest, Kenwood House, London.
Rembrandt refined light and shade into finer and finer nuances until they blended with one another = GRADATIONS (not chiaroscuro)/ this technique is closer to reality because the eyes perceive light and dark not as static but as always subtly changing Renaissance artists represented the "idea" of light rather than the actual look of it - Rembrandt discovered degrees of light and dark, degrees of differences in pose, in the movement of facial features and in psychic states - these differences were arrived at "optically" Rembrandt discovered for the modern world that variation of light and shade, subtly modulated, could be read as emotional differences = "psychology of light" Self-Portrait - produced late in his life/ strong light source left/ depicted with dignity and strength/ assertive, confident (rough) brushwork/ expresses the artist's soul Two circles: eternity and perfection
PETER PAUL RUBENS Allegory of the Outbreak of War 1638 Oil on canvas, 6' 9" x 11' 3 7/8". Pitti Gallery, Florence.
Rubens had great insight into European politics from his diplomatic missions and never ceased to promote peace Commissioned to paint this piece by Ferdinando II, Grand Duke of Tuscany/ he took opportunity to allegorically express his attitude toward war/ it was finished during the 30 Years' War Mars with shield and sword threatens with diseaster, Venus tries to hold him back, monsters represent plague and famine, woman on ground with broken lute = harmony cannot exist beside war (war breaks and destroys everything)
REMBRANDT VAN RIJN The Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq (Night Watch) 1642 Oil on canvas (cropped from original size), 11' 11" x 14' 4" Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
The painting is not a nocturnal scene/ painting's nickname is due more to the varnish the artist used, which has darkened over time Civic-guard group portrait (each member in the painting contributed to Rembrandt's fee)/ It was commissioned to hang in the assembly and banquet hall of the new Musketeer's Hall in Amsterdam Rembrandt captured the excitement and frenetic activity of the men preparing for a parade/ rather than organizing the men for the portrait, he chose to depict them scurrying about in the act of organizing themselves = animated Girl on left may be Rembrandt's wife/ he may be represented in back, right corner Painting was cropped in 1715 when moved to Amsterdam town hall
JAN VERMEER Allegory of the Art of Painting 1670-1675 Oil on canvas, 4' 4" x 3' 8" Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.
Some historians believe that Vermeer used both mirrors and the camera obscura (ancestor of the modern camera based on passing light through a tiny pinhole or lens to project an image on a screen or the wall of a room) as tools Vermeer was ahead of his time in color science/ he realized that shadows are not colorless and dark, that adjoining colors affect each other and that light is composed of colors/ he painted reflections off of surfaces in colors modified by others nearby Vermeer also perceived the phenomenon of "circles of confusion" = he used light dabs of color that, in close view, give the impression of an image slightly "out of focus" - when the observer draws back a step, as if adjusting the lens of a camera, the color spots or dabs cohere, giving an accurate illusion of a third dimension Allegory of the Art of Painting - the artist appears with back to us and is dressed in historical clothing/ the model he is painting is wearing a laurel wreath, holding a trumpet and book, traditional attributes of Clio the muse of history/ map on back wall is another reference to history Viewer is outside of space of action (doorway, drawn curtain), light source coming in from left (as if through window)
PETER PAUL RUBENS Elevation of the Cross Antwerp Cathedral Antwerp, Belgium 1610 Oil on panel, 15' 1 7/8" x 11' 1 1/2" (center panel), 15' 1 7/8" x 4' 11" (each wing).
Spanish King Philip II - repressive ruling measures against Protestants in Netherlands led the northern provinces to break away from Spain and set up the Dutch Republic/ Southern provinces remain under Spanish rule Baroque art of Flanders (the Spanish Netherlands) retained close connections to Baroque art of Catholic Europe/ Dutch schools of painting developed their own subjects and styles PETER PAUL RUBENS: Flemish master/ he combined the styles of the Renaissance masters and the Italian Baroque masters to create his own style = the first truly pan- European manner He possessed an aristocratic education, a courtier's manner, diplomacy and tact/ He was the associate of princes and scholars/ Patrons entrusted him with diplomatic missions of highest importance/ He had scores of associates and apprentices that assisted him = turned out lots of artwork/ Very wealthy man!
NICOLAS POUSSIN Burial of Phocion 1648 Oil on canvas, approx. 3' 11" x 5' 10" Louvre, Paris.
Subject from the literature of antiquity (Plutarch's Life of Phocion - Athenian general whom his compatriots unjustly put to death for treason, eventually state gave him a public funeral and memorialized him) This scene was not intended to represent a particular place and time/ Poussin constructed an idea of a noble landscape to frame a noble theme (like Carracci's classical landscapes) Everything in the composition is carefully arranged (rational plan)
Calvinists
members of a religion based on the teachings of John Calvin
GERRIT VAN HONTHORST Supper Party 1620 Oil on canvas, approx. 7' x 4' 8" Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence
Typical Dutch genre scene - Supper Party (informal gathering of unidealized human figures van Honthorst spent several years in Italy and studied Caravaggio's work = mundane tavern setting, nocturnal lighting van Honthorst was fascinated by nocturnal effects/ often placed a hidden light source in his compositions and the strong contrast between lights and darks (chiaroscuro) helped to create more drama Often these scenes could have a moral message/ Warning against the sins of gluttony and lust
JACOB VAN RUISDAEL View of Haarlem from the Dunes at Overveen ca. 1670 Oil on canvas, approx. 1' 10" x 2' 1" Mauritshuis, The Hague.
VAN RUISDAEL - View of Haarlem from Dunes at Overveen - depicted with precision and sensitivity/ gives overview of major Dutch city (site specific)/ St. Bravo church/ windmills (land reclamation efforts)/ figures in foreground stretch linen to be bleached (major Haarlem industry)/ horizon line is low and sky fills 3/4 's of canvas/ captures serenity, almost spiritual feel
JAN VERMEER The Letter, 1666 Oil on canvas, 1' 5 1/4" x 1' 3 1/4" Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
Vermeer derived most of his income from work as an innkeeper and art dealer Vermeer and his contemporaries composed neat, quietly opulent interiors of Dutch middle-class dwellings with men, women and children engaging in household tasks or some little recreation = reflect values The Letter - drawn curtain and open doorway through which the viewer peers indicates that viewer is outsider and affirms the scene's unplanned "normal" reality/ woman of the house (in elegant attire) is playing a lute and is interrupted by a maid who has delivered a letter/ the letter is a love letter = lute is symbol of music and love, calm seascape on back wall is symbol of love requited His paintings reveal much about Dutch life and culture
FRANÇOIS GIRARDON and THOMAS REGNAUDIN Apollo Attended by the Nymphs Grotto of Thetis, Park of Versailles Versailles, France ca. 1666-1672 Marble, life-size. Park of Versailles.
Versailles Park designed by Andre Le Notre (entire forest was transformed into a park) and he carefully composed all vistas for maximum effect Apollo Attended by the Nymphs - Greco-Roman sculpture influenced design of figures/ Poussin's figure compositions inspired their arrangement/ classical style and mythological symbolism were well suited to France's glorification of royal majesty
JULES HARDOUIN-MANSART and CHARLES LE BRUN Galerie des Glaces (Hall of Mirrors), palace of Versailles Versailles, France ca. 1680.
Versailles interior: careful attention to every detail from wall paintings to door knobs- reinforced splendor and exhibited very finest sense of artisanship Hall of Mirrors - overlooks the park from the second floor and extends along most of the width of the central block/ hundreds of mirrors, on wall across from windows, gives illusion that space is extended
linear perspective
parallel lines appear to converge with distance
FRANS HALS Archers of Saint Hadrian ca. 1633 Oil on canvas, approx. 6' 9" x 11' Frans Halsmuseum, Haarlem.
With increasing number of Dutch middle-class patrons, the tasks for Dutch portraitists became more challenging/ Calvinists shunned ostentation, and wore uniforms, subdued and dark clothing with little variation or decoration Hals produced lively, more relaxed portraits/ injected spontaneity into his compositions and conveyed the personalities of his sitters as well Hals excelled in group portraits - Archers of St. Hadrian - Dutch civic militia group who claimed credit for liberating Dutch Republic from Spain/ Archers met on their saint's feast day in dress uniform for a grand banquet - the event called for a group portrait Each man is both a troop member and an individual with a distinct personality/ some engage the viewer directly, some look away, one is stern and another is animated The repeated white ruffs and sashes create a lively rhythm in the composition and energizes the portrait Hals' brushwork is also light and energetic on the surface of the canvas
camera obscura
a darkened box with a convex lens or aperture for projecting the image of an external object onto a screen inside. It is important historically in the development of photography.
Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture (France)
the premier art institution in France in the eighteenth century
René Descartes
17t century French philosopher. Famously known for writing "cogito ergo sum" ("I think, therefore I am"). Wrote about concept of dualism.
REMBRANDT VAN RIJN Return of the Prodigal Son ca. 1665 Oil on canvas, approx. 8' 8" x 6' 9" Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg.
Calvinist injunctions against religious art did not prevent Rembrandt from making a series of religious paintings and prints His religious art is that of a committed Christian who desired to interpret biblical narratives in human terms (as opposed to lofty theological/ opulent, overwhelming art of Baroque Italy) In Return of the Prodigal Son, Rembrandt gives the viewer the humanity and humility of Jesus/ shows his psychological insight and sympathy for human affliction Lesson of Mercy - weeping son crouches before his forgiving father, who embraces him (spiritual face of old man in contrast with stern face of image to right) Light mingles with shadow/ father and son are illuminated Rembrandt completed at end of his life/ his personal style in tune with simple eloquence of the biblical passage
LOUIS LE NAIN Family of Country People ca. 1640 Oil on canvas, approx. 3' 8" x 5' 2" Louvre, Paris.
Family of Country People - expresses the grave dignity of a family close to the soil, one made stoic and resigned by hardship/ the peasant's life was miserable during the time Le Nain painted/ 30 Years' War took its toll on France Le Nain worked cooperatively with family members/ they established a communal workshop and collaborated on some paintings/ the Le Nain brothers mostly focused on painting genre scenes Some scholars have suggested that Le Nain intended to please wealthy urban patrons with these paintings
RACHEL RUYSCH Flower Still Life after 1700 Oil on canvas, 2' 6" x 2' The Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo (purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, gift of Edward Drummond Libbey).
Famous for her floral paintings and still lifes/ her father was a professor of botany and anatomy (influenced her knowledge of plants)/ acquired international reputation for lush paintings (court painter in Germany)/ she carefully constructed her paintings (use of diagonals)
FRANÇOIS MANSART Orléans wing of the Château de Blois Blois, France 1635-1638.
Italian Renaissance Influence: strong rectilinear organization and design in repeated units French Baroque architectural characteristics: emphasis on focal points through curving colonnades, changing planes of the walls and concentration of ornament around the portal
