Paintings — Old Master Paintings and Sculpture: Part II
Quentin Matsys (Dutch: Quinten Matsijs), a Flemish painter born around 1466 in Leuven, is recognized as a pivotal figure in the Early Netherlandish tradition and a founder of the Antwerp school of painting. His initial training as an ironsmith in his father's workshop lent a unique craftsmanship to his artistic endeavors. Matsys' works, which often contained religious themes and satirical elements, were instrumental in the transition from medieval to Renaissance art in northern Europe.
Matsys' early works exhibit the influence of Hans Memling, and later, his exposure to Italian Renaissance artists, especially Leonardo da Vinci, is evident in his refined technique. This amalgamation of Northern European and Italian influences resulted in a distinctive style that earned him the reputation as the leading painter in Antwerp during the early 16th century.
Today, Matsys' masterpieces are housed in prestigious institutions like the National Gallery in London, serving as a testament to his enduring legacy. His contributions to the art world resonate with collectors and historians alike, who admire his innovative blend of technical skill and evocative expression.
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.
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.
Lucas Gassel was a Flemish Renaissance landscape painter.
Gassel was a humanist, socialized with other humanists in the Netherlands, and was a well-known and successful artist. Gassel's extant paintings depict distant landscapes, often with famous episodes from the Bible depicted in the foreground, such as the Escape to Egypt, or characters from classical mythology, such as Pyramus and Thebes. His drawings and engravings with scenes from court and everyday life are also well known.
Hieronymus Bosch, a Netherlandish painter born around 1450 in 's-Hertogenbosch, remains one of the art world's most enigmatic figures. Bosch's work is renowned for its intricate, symbolic, and often unsettling imagery, depicting fantastical creatures, earthly pleasures, and human folly with a depth that continues to fascinate scholars and art lovers alike. Despite the scarcity of biographical details—owing to the lack of personal letters or diaries—Bosch's legacy as a pivotal figure in the transition from the medieval to the modern worldview is undisputed.
Bosch spent virtually his entire life in his birthplace, where his family had deep roots in the artistic community. His grandfather and father were both painters, suggesting that Bosch likely received his initial training within his family. By the late 15th century, Bosch had become a respected member of the local Brotherhood of Our Lady, contributing significantly to the cultural and religious life of his community through his artworks. Notably, Bosch's oeuvre includes around thirty paintings, with "The Garden of Earthly Delights," a triptych full of intricate, allegorical imagery, standing out as one of his masterpieces. This work, alongside others such as "The Temptation of St. Anthony" and "The Haywain Triptych," showcases Bosch's unique ability to blend religious themes with his vivid imagination, offering commentary on human sin and redemption.
Bosch's art, characterized by its detailed landscapes populated with a myriad of creatures both heavenly and demonic, reflects a deep moral concern with the fate of humanity, yet leaves much to interpretation. His works are preserved in some of the world's most prestigious museums, including the Museo del Prado in Madrid, where "The Garden of Earthly Delights" is housed, underscoring his lasting impact on the cultural and artistic heritage of the Renaissance period.
Despite the challenges in attributing some works definitively to Bosch due to the absence of signatures on many of his paintings, about 25 paintings and eight drawings are confidently ascribed to him, with others attributed to his workshop. Bosch's influence extended beyond his lifetime, notably inspiring Pieter Bruegel the Elder, and continues to captivate contemporary audiences with his complex iconography and detailed panoramic scenes.
For collectors and experts in art and antiques, Bosch's work represents a fascinating intersection of culture, art, and the human condition, offering endless avenues for exploration and appreciation. To stay updated on new discoveries, sales, and auction events related to Hieronymus Bosch, signing up for updates can provide exclusive insights and opportunities to deepen one's understanding and collection of this remarkable artist's work.
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.
Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance, celebrated as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. His remarkable abilities and innovative thinking made him an epitome of the Renaissance humanist ideal. Born in Vinci, near Florence, in 1452, Leonardo was educated in Florence by Andrea del Verrocchio, a renowned painter and sculptor. He began his career in Florence, later working in Milan, Rome, and France, where he died in 1519.
Da Vinci is revered for his artistic mastery, technological innovation, and scientific inquiry. Despite having fewer than 25 major works attributed to him, including several unfinished ones, his influence on Western art is profound. His magnum opus, the "Mona Lisa," housed in the Louvre Museum, Paris, is considered the world's most famous painting. "The Last Supper," his most reproduced religious painting, showcases his mastery of dramatic narrative and pictorial illusionism. Both paintings exhibit Leonardo's unique ability to convey complex human emotions and his innovative use of techniques like sfumato and chiaroscuro.
Leonardo's interests extended far beyond fine art. He was a visionary in multiple fields, including anatomy, physics, architecture, and mechanics. His notebooks reveal designs for machines like bicycles, helicopters, and military tanks, centuries ahead of their time. However, due to his diverse interests, he left many projects and paintings incomplete. Leonardo's final years were spent in France, where he continued his artistic and scientific pursuits until his death.
For collectors and experts in art and antiques, Leonardo da Vinci remains a figure of endless fascination. His works not only embody the pinnacle of Renaissance art but also provide insights into the era's scientific and philosophical inquiry. To stay updated on new sales and auction events related to Leonardo da Vinci, sign up for our newsletter. This subscription is a gateway to exploring the rich legacy of this unparalleled artist and inventor.
Alessandro Allori, full name Alessandro di Cristofano di Lorenzo del Bronzino Allori, was an Italian painter of the Florentine school of late Mannerism.
Allori was one of the major artists of Florence in the late 16th century. He painted prostrate images and portraits. His son Cristofano Allori (1577-1621) also became an artist.
Marten Rijckaert was a Flemish Baroque painter, famous for his landscapes in the Italian manner.
Marten Rijckaert was a pupil of Tobias Verhacht. He was registered as a master at the Antwerp Guild of St Luke's in 1607. Reikart was a close friend of Antonis van Dyck.
His work is characterised by rocky forest landscapes, often with waterfalls, ruins and architecture. These Italian landscapes are close to the works of Flemish painter Paul Brill, and the panoramic concept of his compositions owes a debt to the works of Jan Brueghel the Elder.
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.
Jan Josephsz. van Goyen was a Dutch landscape painter and draftsman of the Golden Age, a member of the Guild of St. Luke of Leiden, and a representative of the so-called tonal landscape. Van Goyen specialized in landscape painting and left many paintings depicting forest paths, rivers, lakes, and canals. He also painted peasant huts and the outskirts of towns.
Jan van Goin was one of the most prolific painters of the 17th century: some 1,200 paintings he created and some 800 drawings have survived.
Jan Lievens was a Dutch painter, draughtsman, and engraver of the Golden Age and a member of the Guild of St. Luke in Antwerp.
It is known that while still very young, at the age of twelve, Lievens already created skillful paintings that amazed art lovers of Leiden. He was later friendly with Rembrandt, shared a studio with him, and painted in a similar style. Lievens was also a court painter in England and elsewhere.
Jan Leavens created genre scenes, landscapes, ceremonial portraits and sketches on various themes, as well as religious and allegorical images, which were already highly valued during his lifetime.
Marten Rijckaert was a Flemish Baroque painter, famous for his landscapes in the Italian manner.
Marten Rijckaert was a pupil of Tobias Verhacht. He was registered as a master at the Antwerp Guild of St Luke's in 1607. Reikart was a close friend of Antonis van Dyck.
His work is characterised by rocky forest landscapes, often with waterfalls, ruins and architecture. These Italian landscapes are close to the works of Flemish painter Paul Brill, and the panoramic concept of his compositions owes a debt to the works of Jan Brueghel the Elder.
David Teniers the Younger was a Flemish Baroque painter, printmaker, draughtsman, miniaturist painter, staffage painter, copyist and art curator. He was an extremely versatile artist known for his prolific output. He was an innovator in a wide range of genres such as history painting, genre painting, landscape painting, portrait and still life. He is now best remembered as the leading Flemish genre painter of his day. Teniers is particularly known for developing the peasant genre, the tavern scene, pictures of collections and scenes with alchemists and physicians.
He was court painter and the curator of the collection of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, the art-loving Governor General of the Habsburg Netherlands. He created a printed catalogue of the collections of the Archduke. He was the founder of the Antwerp Academy, where young artists were trained to draw and sculpt in the hope of reviving Flemish art after its decline following the death of the leading Flemish artists Rubens and Anthony van Dyck in the early 1640s. He influenced the next generation of Northern genre painters as well as French Rococo painters such as Antoine Watteau.
Frederik de Moucheron the Elder was a Dutch landscape painter of the Dutch Golden Age.
Frederik studied under Jan Asselain (1610-1652), then spent three years in Paris before settling in Amsterdam in 1659. De Moucheron painted French, Italian and Dutch landscapes, reproducing with particular care the effects of sunset and gray clouds. Works by this artist are represented in many European art galleries, such as those in St. Petersburg and the Dresden Gallery.
He was the father of the landscape painters Isak de Moucheron and Frederik de Moucheron the Younger.
Jan Frans van Bloemen was a Flemish landscape painter mainly active in Rome. Here he was able to establish himself as the leading painter of views (vedute) of the Roman countryside depicted in the aesthetic of the classical landscape tradition.
Osias Beert the Elder, a Flemish painter born around 1580 and active until his death in 1623, was a key figure in the development of still life painting in Northern Europe. His work, primarily focused on flower and banquet (or "breakfast") pieces, showcased a pioneering approach to these genres, setting a precedent for future artists.
Beert's technique involved painting on oak panels and copper, employing a glazing method that layered very fluid oil paints to achieve transparency and a rich color palette. This method allowed him to create still lifes that were not only visually appealing but also rich in detail and depth. He was known for his intricate compositions that often featured a high viewpoint and compact arrangements, providing a better sense of spatial coherence in his later works.
Despite the significant impact of his work, only a few signed pieces by Beert are known, making the attribution of his works challenging. His influence extended to his pupils and his nephew Frans Ykens, as well as other Antwerp artists such as Jacob Foppens van Es and Jacob van Hulsdonck, indicating his pivotal role in the early still life painting tradition in Flanders.
For collectors and experts in art and antiques, Osias Beert the Elder's contributions to the evolution of still life painting represent an essential chapter in the history of art. His ability to depict the transient beauty of flowers and the lavish detail of banquet scenes continues to captivate audiences and serves as a testament to his skill and creativity.
To delve deeper into the fascinating work of Osias Beert the Elder and to stay informed about new discoveries or auction events related to his oeuvre, consider signing up for updates tailored to enthusiasts of art history and antique collections. This subscription will ensure you are well-informed about the latest developments and opportunities related to this influential artist's work.