Old Masters
Rogier van der Weyden, birth name Rogier de le Pasture, was a Dutch painter, a classic of the Northern Renaissance.
Rogier van der Weyden was one of the most important and influential artists of the Flemish Northern Renaissance, along with Jan van Eyck and Robert Kampen. He became the official painter of the city of Brussels and executed works for the Duke of Burgundy, who ruled the region at the time. Van der Weyden's groups of figures and compositions for portraits and biblical scenes inspired subsequent generations of artists, and his ability to convey strong emotion has been recognized as one of his major contributions to European art. He is considered the first European artist to depict people crying.
The most powerful on the emotional impact on the viewer can be considered the canvas of the artist "The removal from the cross" (1435-1440), it is one of the peaks of European fine art XV century. Currently, the painting is stored in the Prado Museum in Madrid.
One of Rogier van der Weyden's sons, grandson and great-grandson also became artists.
Corneille de Lyon, also Corneille de La Haye, was a Dutch painter who worked most of his life in Lyon. Portraitist, one of the most talented and prolific Renaissance painters.
Ambrosius Benson was an Italian painter who became a part of the Northern Renaissance.
While many surviving paintings have been attributed, there is very little known of him from records, and he tended not to sign his work. He is believed to be responsible for mainly religious art, but also painted portraits on commission. He sometime painted from classical sources, often setting the figures in modern-dress, or a contemporary domestic setting. In his lifetime he was successful; he had a large workshop, his work was sold internationally and he was especially popular in Spain.
Clara Peeters was a Flemish still-life painter from Antwerp who worked in both the Spanish Netherlands and Dutch Republic.
Peeters is the best-known female Flemish artist of this era and one of the few women artists working professionally in seventeenth-century Europe, despite restrictions on women's access to artistic training and membership in guilds. Peeters specialized in still-life paintings with food and was prominent among the artists who shaped the traditions of the Netherlandish ontbijtjes, "breakfast pieces," scenes of food and simple vessels, and banketjes, "banquet pieces" with expensive cups and vessels in precious metals.
Jacob Jordaens was a Flemish painter, draughtsman and tapestry designer known for his history paintings, genre scenes and portraits. After Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck, he was the leading Flemish Baroque painter of his day. Unlike those contemporaries he never travelled abroad to study Italian painting, and his career is marked by an indifference to their intellectual and courtly aspirations. In fact, except for a few short trips to locations elsewhere in the Low Countries, he remained in Antwerp his entire life. As well as being a successful painter, he was a prominent designer of tapestries.
Like Rubens, Jordaens painted altarpieces, mythological, and allegorical scenes, and after 1640 — the year Rubens died — he was the most important painter in Antwerp for large-scale commissions and the status of his patrons increased in general. However, he is best known today for his numerous large genre scenes based on proverbs in the manner of his contemporary Jan Brueghel the Elder, depicting The King Drinks and As the Old Sing, So Pipe the Young. Jordaens' main artistic influences, besides Rubens and the Brueghel family, were northern Italian painters such as Jacopo Bassano, Paolo Veronese, and Caravaggio.
Gerrit Adriaenszoon Berckheyde was a Dutch Golden Age painter, active in Haarlem, Amsterdam, and The Hague, who is best known today for his cityscapes.
Pieter Brueghel the Younger was a Flemish artist celebrated for his detailed landscapes, religious themes, proverbs, and vibrant village scenes. Despite being the son of the illustrious Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Brueghel the Younger carved out his own niche in the art world, earning the moniker 'Hell Brueghel' for his dynamic scenes of fires and energetic copies of his father's peasant life portrayals.
Brueghel the Younger's original creations, such as "The Village Lawyer," showcase his keen observation of village life, merging the energy and boldness of 17th-century style with his father's idiom. His work is characterized by its lively, picturesque depiction of peasants, albeit some critics argue they lack the subtlety and humanism of his father's creations. Despite this, Brueghel the Younger's legacy includes a significant number of original works and copies that were rediscovered in the 20th century, highlighting his contribution to the Flemish painting tradition.
His workshop was known for its prolific output, especially in producing copies of Bruegel the Elder's compositions, a testament to the enduring popularity and influence of the Bruegel family's artistic legacy. However, Brueghel the Younger also impressed with his unique compositions, contributing to the genre of still life and village scenes with a distinct style that resonated well into modern times.
For collectors and experts in art and antiques, Pieter Brueghel the Younger's works represent an important period in Flemish art, offering insights into the evolution of genre painting and the detailed portrayal of rural life. His paintings, held in esteemed collections worldwide, continue to be studied and admired for their vibrancy, narrative quality, and historical value.
To explore more about Pieter Brueghel the Younger and to stay updated on sales and auction events related to his work, signing up for specialized updates can offer exclusive insights into the world of this influential Flemish painter. This subscription ensures enthusiasts and collectors are well-informed about developments related to Brueghel the Younger's oeuvre, enhancing their appreciation and understanding of his artistic legacy.
Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi, better known as Donatello, sculptor of the Renaissance period. Born in Florence, he studied classical sculpture and used this to develop a complete Renaissance style in sculpture. He spent time in other cities, and while there he worked on commissions and taught others; his periods in Rome, Padua, and Siena introduced to other parts of Italy his techniques, developed in the course of a long and productive career. Financed by Cosimo de' Medici, Donatello's David was the first freestanding nude male sculpture since antiquity.
He worked with stone, bronze, wood, clay, stucco, and wax, and had several assistants, with four perhaps being a typical number. Although his best-known works mostly were statues in the round, he developed a new, very shallow, type of bas-relief for small works, and a good deal of his output was larger architectural reliefs.
Adriaen Isenbrandt was a painter in Bruges, in the final years of Early Netherlandish painting, and the first of the Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting of the Northern Renaissance. Documentary evidence suggests he was a significant and successful artist of his period, even though no specific works by his hand are clearly documented. Art historians have conjectured that he operated a large workshop specializing in religious subjects and devotional paintings, which were executed in a conservative style in the tradition of the Early Netherlandish painting of the previous century. By his time, the new booming economy of Antwerp had made this the centre of painting in the Low Countries, but the previous centre of Bruges retained considerable prestige.
Joos van Cleve, also known by his real name Joos van der Beke, was a prominent Netherlandish painter, active mainly in Antwerp from about 1511 until his death in 1540 or 1541. His work predominantly centered around religious subjects and portraits, including notable commissions for the French King Francis I during his time at the French court. His artistic oeuvre reflects a blend of traditional Netherlandish painting techniques with contemporary Renaissance styles, showcasing his direct knowledge of local art combined with an awareness of Italian developments.
Van Cleve's work was characterized by its elaborate detail, particularly in his altarpieces which often incorporated portraits and landscapes, demonstrating his refined painting style. His success in Antwerp was significant, and he was also recognized at the French court, indicating his high regard as a portrait artist. Notably, Van Cleve had the opportunity to paint members of the royal court, including King Francis I and Queen Eleanor of Austria, underscoring his skills in portraiture.
His paintings are recognized for their sensitivity to color and a unique solidity of figures, with some works showcasing the popular style of Antwerp Mannerism. Van Cleve was an innovator in introducing broad world landscapes in the backgrounds of his paintings, a technique that became popular in sixteenth-century northern Renaissance paintings. Despite his contributions to the Renaissance art movement, Van Cleve also produced works that were highly eclectic, drawing on the styles of earlier Netherlandish masters as well as Italian influences, particularly in his use of sfumato, evident in his Virgin and Child compositions.
For art collectors and experts, Joos van Cleve's legacy offers a rich exploration into the transition from medieval to Renaissance art in Northern Europe. His body of work, found in prestigious collections such as the National Gallery in Prague, the Louvre, and the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, remains a testament to his versatility and skill as a painter of both religious narratives and royal portraits.
To delve deeper into the fascinating world of Joos van Cleve and to stay informed about exhibitions or sales featuring his work, consider signing up for updates from art institutions and auction houses. This subscription will ensure you remain at the forefront of developments and opportunities related to this influential artist's oeuvre, enhancing your collection and understanding of Renaissance art.
Jan van Hemessen was a leading Flemish Renaissance painter, belonging to the group of Italianizing Flemish painters called the Romanists, who were influenced by Italian Renaissance painting. Van Hemessen had visited Italy during the 1520s, and also Fontainebleau near Paris in the mid 1530s, where he was able to view the work of the colony of Italian artists known as the First School of Fontainebleau, who were working on the decorations for the Palace of Fontainebleau. Van Hemessen's works show his ability to interpret the Italian models into a new Flemish visual vocabulary.
Lucas Cranach the Younger was a German painter of the mid-16th century. He is known as a Renaissance painter and portraitist, one of the sons of the painter and graphic artist Lucas Cranach the Elder.
Cranach the Younger painted portraits and paintings of the mythological genre. Despite his lack of courtly status, he worked for the social elite, including princes and nobles. After the artist's death, his works were distributed to various churches, schools, castles and homes. As a member of the new generation, he favored rich and flamboyant images. Cranach the Younger is believed to have created a new artistic program for the Protestants.
Frans Pourbus the Younger was a Flemish artist, renowned for his sophisticated portraiture, who gained prominence for his meticulous depiction of opulent costumes, jewelry, and drapery. Born in Antwerp in 1569 into a family with a rich artistic lineage, Pourbus honed his craft in the vibrant cultural milieu of the time. His grandfather, Pieter Pourbus, was a leading portrait and history painter in Bruges, while his father, Frans Pourbus the Elder, was a significant figure in portrait and genre painting. The younger Pourbus’s artistry was characterized by its attention to detail rather than the exploration of dramatic scenes or landscapes, a style that resonated with the sensibilities of the courts he served.
Pourbus's career flourished as he became a court painter to influential figures such as Archduke Albert and Infanta Isabella in Brussels. His reputation for producing portraits that were aesthetically pleasing to his patrons propelled him to work for Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, and subsequently, Marie de' Medici, Queen of France, in Paris. His works are preserved in prestigious collections across Europe, including the Louvre, the Prado, the Rijksmuseum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Notable pieces such as the portrait of Eleonora de' Medici Gonzaga and the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain exemplify his skill in capturing the grandeur of the European aristocracy of the 17th century.
Art collectors and antiquities experts who admire the grandiose style of early European court portraiture find in Pourbus's work a quintessential representation of the era's aesthetics. His paintings, replete with detailed costume and adornment, provide a window into the past's lavishness and serve as enduring artifacts of cultural heritage. For updates on new product sales and auction events related to Frans Pourbus the Younger, signing up for our newsletter is a discreet and direct way to stay informed.