religious theme
Phillis Wheatley or Phillis Wheatley Peters was an American poet born in Africa.
A native of West Africa, Phillis Wheatley was kidnapped as a young child and sold as a slave in 1761 to John and Susanna Wheatley in Boston. They chose the name Phyllis for her in honor of the ship on which the girl traveled the Middle Passage. The Wheatley family quickly recognized her intellectual abilities and encouraged her study of the classics. Phyllis began writing poems and verses, and some were even published when she was only 14 years old.
However, the 18th-century public had great difficulty accepting a black slave girl as a writer. In May 1773, Wheatley traveled to London with her master's son. There her first book, Poems on Miscellaneous Subjects, Religious and Moral, was published. Wheatley's literary talent and personal qualities contributed to her great social success in London. In the fall of 1773, Phyllis returned to the United States and Wheatley was granted her freedom. She married, but lived only 31 years.
Wheatley's most famous poem today, "On Being Brought from Africa to America" (1768), directly addresses the theme of slavery.
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.
Hendrik van Balen the Elder was a Flemish Baroque painter and stained glass artist, member of the Guild of Saint Luke in Antwerp.
Hendrik van Balen specialized in small cabinet paintings, often painted on copperplate. The artist's work was inspired by mythological and allegorical as well as religious subjects. The artist played an important role in the renewal of Flemish painting at the beginning of the 17th century and was one of Antoni van Dyck's teachers.
Gustave Moreau was a French artist and an important figure in the Symbolist movement. Jean Cassou called him "the Symbolist painter par excellence". He was an influential forerunner of symbolism in the visual arts in the 1860s, and at the height of the symbolist movement in the 1890s, he was among the most significant painters.
Anthony van Dyck, a Flemish painter born in 1599 in Antwerp and passed away in 1641 in London, is celebrated as one of the foremost Baroque painters of the 17th century. His notable contributions to the art world include his exceptional portraits of European aristocracy, as well as his religious and mythological paintings. Van Dyck's early exposure to art was influenced significantly by his apprenticeship with Hendrik van Balen and later, by the profound impact of working alongside Peter Paul Rubens. His mastery was recognized early on, leading him to set up his own workshop by the age of 15.
Van Dyck's journey to Italy in 1621 marked a pivotal phase in his career, allowing him to immerse himself in studying the Italian masters and commencing his successful stint as a portraitist. His style evolved under the influence of Titian, evident from his vibrant use of color and refined modeling of form. Van Dyck's Italian period not only honed his artistic skills but also established his reputation as a painter of consequence.
Upon returning to Antwerp, van Dyck's portraits became highly sought after, leading to commissions from notable figures such as Archduchess Isabella and Queen Mother Maria de' Medici. His role as a court painter further solidified in England under the patronage of King Charles I, where he was knighted and appointed as the principal painter, profoundly shaping the aristocratic character of Charles I's reign through his portraits.
Van Dyck's legacy extends beyond his death, having influenced English portrait painting for over a century. His innovative techniques in watercolour and etching, along with his sophisticated portrayal of subjects, continue to be admired. His art not only showcases his technical prowess but also reflects the cultural and social nuances of his era, making his work a significant study for collectors and art historians alike.
For enthusiasts eager to explore the intersections of art, history, and culture through the lens of Anthony van Dyck's work, staying informed about new discoveries and auction events is essential. Signing up for updates can provide exclusive insights into the world of one of the most influential figures in Flemish art. This subscription ensures that collectors and experts are well-informed of any developments related to van Dyck's oeuvre, enhancing their understanding and appreciation of his contributions to the art world.
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.
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Pierre Cécile Puvis de Chavannes, a prominent French painter, was known as "the painter for France." His influential mural paintings showcased a classicizing style, often referencing visions of Hellenistic Greece.
Puvis received numerous commissions for public and private institutions across France, with significant works in Amiens, Marseille, Lyon, Poitiers, and Paris. His success as a 'painter for France' stemmed from his ability to appeal to various ideologies of the time. In addition to murals, Puvis created easel paintings, some of which can be found in galleries worldwide. Despite his significance, he was not fully appreciated during his lifetime, and his work remains a subject of ongoing art criticism.
Charles-Joseph Natoire was a prominent Rococo painter, known for his significant contributions to French art during his lifetime. Trained under François Lemoyne, Natoire excelled in various artistic endeavors, earning royal commissions and contributing to significant artistic projects in Versailles and Fontainebleau. His works included tapestry cartoons for the Manufacture de Beauvais and Gobelins, and he was known for his series on the History of Psyche and Don Quixote.
In 1751, Charles-Joseph Natoire became the director of the French Academy in Rome, a role he held until 1775. During this period, he mentored notable students like Hubert Robert and Jean-Honoré Fragonard. Although his active painting career dwindled during his directorship, his influence on the students and the artistic community was significant.
Charles-Joseph Natoire's works can be found in various prestigious institutions, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Louvre. His painting "The Rebuke of Adam and Eve" is one such piece that showcases his mastery and attention to detail.
For collectors and experts in art and antiques, Charles-Joseph Natoire's works offer a glimpse into the Rococo style's elegance and the rich artistic heritage of 18th-century France. His contributions to tapestry and painting continue to be celebrated and studied for their historical and artistic value.
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Jean Colombe was a French miniaturist and manuscript illustrator. He founded a dynasty of illuminators, including a son and grandson who continued his work even after his death.
Colombe is known to have decorated a large number of manuscripts. He was commissioned to illustrate both secular and religious texts, and he depicted scenes with many characters in elaborate architectural structures or landscapes. His illuminated manuscripts were decorated with gold or silver, brilliant colors, intricate drawings, or miniature images. Jean Colombe was patronized by Charlotte of Savoy, wife of Louis XI and a noted bibliophile. He illustrated manuscripts for the queen, her daughter Anne Beaujault, and members of the court. Colombe also entered the service of her nephew, Charles I, Duke of Savoy, who commissioned him to complete two unfinished manuscripts in his library: the magnificent Apocalypse of Jean Baptiste and Perronet Lamy and probably the most famous of all the Chapels, The Rich Estates of the Duke of Berry by the brothers de Limbourg.
Tomasino da Vimercate was an Italian miniaturist. He worked in Milan from 1390 to 1415.