Dutch Masters
From the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Images used in the introductory animation
Details of the following images appear in the website animation. Images are listed in order of appearance.
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REMBRANDT Harmensz. van Rijn 1606–1669 In the early 1630s, shortly after settling in Amsterdam, Rembrandt painted a large number of portraits, most of them apparently intended for the open market. The models in these works are anonymous and are invariably clothed in fanciful costumes worked out in elaborate detail. This is a good example of such portraits, which were known as tronies. Rembrandt’s model here has been decked out to look like an oriental prince, and laden with costly jewels to emphasize his wealth and standing. In the sparkling highlights of the gold chain, the clasp and the necklace, Rembrandt displays his matchless technique. |
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Johannes VERMEER 1632-1675 Johannes Vermeer is among the most prominent painters of the Delft school in the second half of the seventeenth century. Only thirty-six paintings are today accepted as his work, mainly interior scenes like this one. This painting is known as The love letter, which immediately indicates that there is more to be seen here than one might think at first glance. The key to the interpretation lies in the combination of two motifs: a woman with a letter in her hand and a painting depicting a ship at sea. In Vermeer's paintings, there is often a suggestion the viewer interrupts the main characters during some activity or other, in this case the handing over of a letter. The scene is a kind of snapshot in time – the lady is looking at her servant girl expectantly, perhaps wondering what is in the letter. Possibly the answer lies in the marine painting in the background, for in the seventeenth-century language of imagery the sea often stood for love, and ships for lovers, who come and go. The calm waters we see in this painting, and the maid's gentle smile, seem designed to reassure the viewer that the course of this lady's love will be smooth. |
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Jan de BRAY 1627-1697 Young artists learned from their masters how to pre-treat canvases and panels, prepare paint, and practise copying the work of their teachers. When a pupil was finally ready to set himself up as an independent painter, he had to become a member of the local guild in order to actually carry out his profession. The painter of this rare portrait of a group of artists, Jan de Bray, was himself a governor of the Haarlem painters' guild. He is the second figure on the left, holding a panel. The professional organization for painters in each Dutch city was the Guild of St. Luke, named after the New Testament saint who is said to have painted a picture of the Virgin Mary. An image of St. Luke appears here on the plaque which the guild's deacon, Gerrit Mulraet, (seated in front of the table) is showing to the viewer. |
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THE NETHERLANDS, Middelburg This gilded silver salver was known as an Achtpuntschotel (octagonal plate), because of the characteristic eight-sided border. Originally only the border was decorated with representations derived from sixteenth-century prints. In 1631 the Middelburg silversmith Johannes Looff (d. 1651) engraved the centre of the salver in a contemporary style, with a scene from a particular biblical story that was often chosen to decorate objects presented to celebrate the birth of a child. |
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Abraham MIGNON Abraham Mignon is regarded as one of the most faithful followers of Jan Davidsz de Heem. Like his master, he specialized in lush, ingeniously composed still lifes with flowers and fruit, executed in a light palette. Up until 1672 he worked as De Heem's assistant in Utrecht. The curved bowl of Mignon's large, dark green roemer (similar to the example displayed in the adjacent case), which has been placed upside down on the table, contains the reflection of a window, and in the window a church tower, one of many which the cathedral city of Utrecht then boasted. In the Republic, porcelain objects such as the large bowl in this painting were true showpieces, synonymous with a certain prosperity. The richness of the materials and the variety of objects portrayed gave Mignon ample opportunity to display his expertise in the rendering of texture (especially the purple Spanish grapes). |
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Cornelis SAFTLEVEN 1607-1681 The man in the left foreground here, whose dazzling white shirt is caught by the light while he raises his glass, bears a striking resemblance to surviving portraits of the painter of this work, Cornelis Saftleven. He is surrounded by caricatural figures who, according to the tried and true recipe of many seventeenth-century peasant scenes, provide a negative portrait of licentious drinking, smoking, card games, rough manners and lascivious behaviour. Of Saftleven's many portrayals of country folk, this is no doubt one of the most effective. He was an exceptionally versatile artist and his oeuvre comprises not only country scenes such as this, but also allegorical and biblical scenes, landscapes, animal pieces, and several portraits. Although he was born in Gorinchem, from 1637 on Cornelis worked in Rotterdam where he was deacon of the guild. |
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Gerrit BERCKHEYDE 1638-1698 From the early seventeenth century on, considerable building took place in the old town centre of Amsterdam. This section of one of Amsterdam's grandest canals, the Herengracht, was created in the 1660s, when the Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht and Herengracht were extended from the Leidsegracht to the Amstel River and the IJ inlet. It was known as the Golden Bend, because of its impressive canal houses, many of which are still standing today. Until 1685, there were no trees on the quays of the new extension, so one had a clear view of the houses. A stately house on one of these canals was more or less a requirement for anyone desirous of attaining the social status of the regents. No doubt it was one of those Amsterdam regents who commissioned this work from Gerrit Berckheyde. |
