#28 NORTHERN EUROPEAN BAROQUE ART

NORTHERN EUROPEAN BAROQUE ART

Northern European Baroque

The entire world's a stage — or at least it was during the Baroque period in Northern Europe. The artist Peter Paul Rubens, a contemporary of William Shakespeare, turned his canvases into theater by using dramatic stage lighting for his pictures.

Watch this clip from "Shakespeare in Love". Notice the elaborate costumes and head dressing and the staged feeling of the dance. It even has the look of a chiaroscuro painting in some parts.

OBJECTIVES


VOCABULARY

TROUBLES IN NORTHERN EUROPE

In the sixteenth century, the area known as the Netherlands (the lowlands of Northwest Europe) was under the control of Spain. This area was bordered by the North Sea, Germany, and France.

When the Protestants had had enough of Spain's Catholic rule, they revolted against the Roman Catholic Church, but Philip II of Spain put down the rebellions with force. It didn't work. William I, Prince of Orange, led an open revolt and won control of much of the northern area. Rebelling territories formed a union that became the Netherlands or the Dutch Republic (roughly modern-day Holland), which was Protestant. The territories that did not join the rebellion became Flanders, an area that covered territories in present-day Belgium and France, which remained Catholic. The people who lived in Flanders were called Flemish.

After a war that lasted approximately eighty years, the Dutch Republic and Spain formally made peace in 1648. This heralded a time of great prosperity and artistic flowering in the Netherlands. This period is known as the Netherlands' "Golden Era."

BAROQUE ART IN NORTHERN EUROPE

Flanders

"I am convinced that in order to achieve the highest perfection one needs a full understanding of the statues, nay, a complete absorption in them." Peter Paul Rubens, referring to the statuary of Rome in his treatise "On the Imitation of Statues."

The painter whose name you need to know when talking about Flemish Baroque art is Peter Paul Rubens. Rubens's style is animated, exuberant, and sensuous. He combines several elements from artists and art movements you've already learned about:

Tension, you may remember, is a hallmark of Baroque art. In Rubens's work, the tension is between the intellectual and the emotional, as well as between the romantic and the classical.

When he was twenty-one years old, the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke gave Rubens the rank of master painter. But Rubens knew in order to really become a master, he had to go to the source of great art: Italy. In 1600, he traveled to Italy and stayed for eight years. While he was in Venice, he was greatly influenced by the works of Paolo Veronese, Tintoretto, and Titian.

In 1609, he moved back to Antwerp and established a studio. Rubens’ focus was on mythological and religious paintings.

Rubens established himself as Flanders' leading painter with works such as the altarpieces he created for the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp. They included the triptychs — three-panel compositions — The Raising of the Cross (circa 1610) and The Descent from the Cross (circa 1611-1614).

The style of Rubens can be characterized by the following:

Look at the painting: Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus (circa 1616-1617, Alte Pinakothek, Munich).

The muscular bodies of the men show the influence of Renaissance artist Michelangelo. The dramatic subject matter shows the influence of the realistic artist Caravaggio. Notice the diagonal composition created by the figures; the sense of energy created by the crowded feeling in the composition, so much so that some of the figures extend beyond the frame; the dramatic lighting; and the contrast of the lighted women's bodies and the darker bodies of the men.

As Rubens matured, his interests in painting turned to family and the Flemish countryside. The Judgment of Paris is considered his masterwork and the epitome of his style. In it, voluptuous goddesses are posed against a green landscape symbolizing the richness of creation. As you examine the painting, notice the luxurious color, the glow of light, and the sensuous brushwork as evidenced by the flowing garments and the swirling branches and clouds.

The narrative of the painting is the beauty contest among three goddesses. Paris is the judge — not an easy task when the contestants are powerful goddesses and are sure to become his enemies if he doesn't choose them. But this painting depicts the moment before all the trouble begins. It is the job of Paris to identify the most beautiful among them.

Charles I at the Hunt, by Anthony van Dyck — Wikimedia

One of Rubens's pupils was Anthony van Dyck, who moved to London and became the court painter for King Charles I of England. His specialty was elegant portraits of royal personages.

Read the article "Charles I at the Hunt" at the famous Louvre Museum's website


Dutch Baroque 

Vanitas still life by Pieter Claesz, 1625 — Wikimedia Commons

While Italian artists were supported by commissions from the Catholic Church, Dutch artists had no such religious patronage. The Protestant Church, in general, did not approve of the lavish spending on art by the pope, and the abundance of religious imagery in Catholic religious buildings seemed to the Protestants to smack of idolatry. However, there was a newfound prosperity among merchants in the Dutch Republic. These rich merchants took the place of Catholic Church leaders and royalty and provided a new source of income for not-so-starving artists in the Netherlands.

Of course, they were interested in different subjects than the church or royalty. They tended to prefer:

REMBRANDT AND REALISM

Carravesque Baroque was brought to the Netherlands when several artists visited Italy and then returned with reports of what they had seen; by the 1620s, naturalism was widespread.

In this environment, the great Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) learned his art.

Rembrandt's work demonstrated an understanding of the human condition that allowed him to connect to the population at large. Rembrandt was unique by comparison to many other artists in that he was able to work in a number of areas, including history, mythology, portrait and landscape.

The qualities of a “Rembrandt" are:

During the last two decades of his life, Rembrandt created his greatest paintings. He became deeply interested in creating mood and infusing his paintings with a spiritual quality while focusing less on drama. Some critics called Rembrandt's technique wizardry because they were puzzled by it; they felt almost as Rembrandt himself didn't understand what he had done. One contemporary painter even called his paintings a mass of smudges.

Look at this example of a Rembrandt portrait. The subject is a man named Jan Six. Wearing a dark gray outfit with a deep red cape, Six's face is composed and thoughtful. Notice the way the light captures the contours of his face. It's almost as if he is standing right in front of the viewer, creating the illusion of reality.

In his later works, Rembrandt focused more on inherent psychological drama. The way he captured emotion almost seemed like coincidence, but it's really a testimony to his masterful technique in which every coincidence seems to add to the effect of the perfect illusion. This was a move for Rembrandt away from his more typical narrative style. Although Rembrandt is probably the most famous Dutch painter, he is not the only one considered a genius.

JAN VERMEER

Jan Vermeer's Girl With The Pearl Earring — Wikimedia

Jan Vermeer, an art dealer, left only thirty-five paintings behind. Because Vermeer worked so meticulously at his craft and lived a relatively short life, he was not as prolific as many of his predecessors. Vermeer painted scenes of people involved in domestic activities like writing and playing musical instruments. He was interested in capturing real life in geometric order. His strengths as an artist were in composition and use of space.

Today many people know of him because of the movie about one of his paintings, Girl With The Pearl Earring. Notice the purity of color and the delicate play of light. Although he was virtually forgotten after his death, he is now considered one of the greatest Dutch painters because of his meticulous compositions and delicate handling of pigment.

Versailles 

This French Baroque architectural monument stands out for its 

"measured classical forms, complex gardens, and sumptuous interiors." — Wikimedia

The Baroque period also includes the masterpiece known as Palace of Versailles. This architectural monument stands out for its classical forms, complex gardens, and elaborate interiors. The magnificent palace was built to glorify Louis XIV, who was known as the Sun King, because France and his subjects were supposed to revolve around him.

The Palace at Versailles, France. — Shutterstock by Elias H. Debbas II 

LET'S REVIEW!

In this lesson, you have covered the following concepts:

Complete the following quiz.