CARAVAGGIO AND THE BIRTH OF THE BAROQUE IN ITALY

Though not as highly regarded as other early modern artists like Leonardo or Michelangelo, Caravaggio surely takes the laurel as the most "romantic" among the old masters.  During his brief and tumultuous life (1573-1610) he became notorious for his ability to provoke contrary responses from colleagues and patrons alike. While some artists and critics called him a "destroyer of painting" on account of his uncouth realism, many younger painter emulated him all too eagerly.  While some patrons rejected his works because of their alleged immorality, others were willing to pay for his simple, single-figure compositions, much more than for the grand pictorial narratives of his classically-oriented contemporaries. This lecture series explores the qualities of his work that led to such complex responses during his lifetime, and which have shaped his critical fortune ever since.      

1. Caravaggio and the art of visual seduction: fortune-tellers, card-players, and musicians

2. Caravaggio and Self-Portraiture: from the sick Bacchus, to the undying Goliath

3. Caravaggio and sacred history: truth-seekers, converts and martyrs

4. Caravaggio and others: critics, champions, imitators

REMBRANDT: LIFE INTO ART

What are some of the reasons for our continued fascination with Rembrandt van Rijn? One of them is surely his uncommon gift at capturing not just the faces, but the emotions of his subjects. This gift was recognized already by his first critics in 17th century Holland, and led to his establishment as the premier painter of Amsterdam. Yet he could also be very difficult – pursuing a style that was perceived as being too daring, to the point that later in  life, he lost almost all of his patrons and faced bankruptcy.  In this series of five lectures, we explore some of the most important facets of his artistry. 

1: The Beginnings: Leiden and Amsterdam

2: Rembrandt as a History Painter – from Classical Mythology to The Night Watch

3: Rembrandt’s Women – Saskia and Hendrickje

4: Rembrandt on paper – drawings and prints

5: The Self-Portrait as a Diary

JOHANNES VERMEER

A master of light and color, Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) creates a timeless world where the smallest actions take on a sense of beauty and meaningfulness beyond their commonplace settings. Though few in number, his paintings are considered some of the finest works in their genre. His artistry rests in his ability to transform a simple daily activity— such as pouring a jug of milk or reading a letter—into a sensitive exploration of human psychology. His masterpieces such as The Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Milkmaid, Girl with the Red Hat, and The Music Lesson, were meticulously created, often taking six months or more to complete.Gloriously lit, serene, and exquisitely rendered, they continue to speak to us through their ability to touch upon some of the most universal ideas in human experience. In this four-part series, we look at Vermeer’s artistic development within the context of his native town of Delft, but also at the qualities of his paintings that make him feel as if he were our contemporary. 

1. Johannes Vermeer and his milieu in Delft

2. Principal themes and ideas in Vermeer’s painting

3. Painting as philosophy – what Vermeer can teach us about ways of seeing and thinking about the world

4. Vermeer’s influence on later artists, from the end of the 19th century to the present

REFLECTIONS ON VERMEER: FROM WHISTLER TO HOPPER

A series of two lectures

Though Johannes Vermeer was well regarded among artists and art lovers of his generation, after the end of the 17th century, he was essentially forgotten. It was only in the eighteen sixties that he was slowly rediscovered thanks to the French critic Théophile Thoré (better known as Théophile Thoré-Bürger), who encountered his works in different museums - often with wrong attributions. Vermeer's re-entry into the history of art did not remain unnoticed.  Within years, some of his most characteristic tendencies, including his taste for intimate, psychologically charged interiors, and his sensitivity to light and color, found reflections in works by artists such as Whistler, Degas, and Vuillard. In this two-part series, we look more closely at the facets of this "Vermeer effect," both among French painters and those living in other parts of Europe, as well as in the United States.

CLARA PEETERS: A WOMAN ARTIST REDISCOVERED

Clara Peeters (b. ca. 1580 or 1590 – d. sometime after 1621) is widely regarded as one of the pioneers in the development of still life as a genre. Yet, despite the scholarly attention to her work, which culminated in an exhibition of her work at the Prado in 2016, our understanding of her life and artistic development remains rather limited.

Judging by her surviving paintings, she was active for a little longer than a decade, from around 1607 to around 1621. Whether the brevity of her career resulted from a marriage, as was the case with so many other female artists of the early modern era, or from premature death, as it is sometimes speculated, remains unknown.

In absence of archival evidence, our most reliable guide to her artistic goals is her visual language.  In this special lecture, we explore that language by a close analysis of some of her best works - in the context of those created by her contemporaries.

THE PAINTER OF THE GOLDFINCH

Carel Fabritius was a 17th-century Dutch painter with a completely unique style. Having trained with Rembrandt, he beame an independent artist who explored a variety of genres: from portraits and  still lifes, to views of towns and history paintings.In 1654 Fabritius painted one of his most extraordinary pictures, The Goldfinch. That same year, at the age of 32, he was killed in an explosion of a gunpowder warehouse in Delft - which also destroyed many of the paintings in his studio. As a result, he left behind a body of work consisting of only 12 paintings.  In this special program, we look more closely at his surviving works and place them in their broader cultural context.

ANTHONY VAN DYCK AND THE BAROQUE PORTRAIT

Born in 1599, Anthony van Dyck became one of the preeminent portrait painters of the 17th century With his virtuoso technique and refined touch, he excelled in capturing subtle emotions and the play of light on a variety of textures, especially luxurious fabrics worn by his aristocratic sitters. His influence extended far beyond his native Flanders, impacting the English court where he served as the leading court painter to Charles I. 

Despite the brevity of his career (died at age forty-two), he transformed the genre of portraiture and influenced generations of later painters. Join us in this two-part exploration of some of his greatest creations.

1. Reinventing the Art of Portraiture: Antwerp and Genoa

2. The Court Painter of Charles I