Wednesday, February 9, 2011

!00 paintings an artist should know 13, Dutch night

31) Peasant huts with a sweep well. Jan Van Goyen 1596-1656
The son of a shoemaker, he made his career at The Hague. He was an extremely prolific painter. His thinly painted landscapes are charming and full of detail. These Dutch painters who all lived about the same time were part of an explosion of painters and painting that was encouraged by a burgeoning middle and merchant class that collected paintings. Unlike popes and princes these clients wanted pictures of their countryside, portraits and bawdy barroom scenes. They wanted things they knew rather than mythology or choirs of angels.

32) Jacob Van Ruisdael 1628-1692
Studied with his father, Isaac and Salomon Ruysdael Jacob was little appreciated in his time and lived in poverty. Jakob tended to build synthetic landscapes in the studio rather than painting actual places. He painted lots of forest pieces and excelled as a painter of trees.


33) After the rain, by Salomon Van Ruysdael 1600-1670
The uncle of Jacob Van Ruisdael. Salomon was best known as a painter of river scenes. Perhaps I should have chosen one of those but I am fond of this little scene. Below is a more typical picture.

River scene with a Ferry
images from art renewal.com

9 comments:

Brady said...

I wasn't aware of these painters. Thanks!

Philip Koch said...

Such wonderful paintings!

That Salomon Van Ruysdae "After the Rain" is a beauty.

I remember I was 19 or 20 when I started looking at the 17th century Dutch painters after my initial romance with the oversized canvases of Frank Stella, Kenneth Noland, and Jules Olitski. There was something so down home, unpretentious, and yet powerfulo about these Dutch painters. They made me realize that even if one was a "contemporary artist" there was still a place for light and atmosphere in painting.

Van Goyen, Ruisdael- you guys are major Dudes!

bvpainter said...

In Dulwich Gallery, we have a landscape by Ruysdal and a copy of the same painting by Constable, who obviously was influenced. needless to say the original is the better painting.

billspaintingmn said...

These Dutch paintings touch a nerve with me. It shows a love of the simple things. Humble and respectful of who they were and what they had.

Stapleton Kearns said...

Brady;
Good, I have been useful.
............Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

Philip;
What an I going to do when I get to Picasso? Katz? Hirst?
.....................Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

Bernie;
You guys have a great little museum there.
...........Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

bill;
With me too. They seem so charming and nicely old timey.
..............Stape

jeff said...

I would add Meindert Hobbema who was Innes' favorite Dutch landscape painter.