Dutch painting. Golden Age of Dutch painting. Paintings of Dutch artists

Even those who do not understand art very well know about Dutch or Flemish painting . But for many, it's nothing more than Rembrandt's portraits. Meanwhile, this is a special area worthy of a more detailed study of European culture, which reflects the original life of the people of Holland of those times.

History of appearance

Bright representatives of art began to appear in the country in the seventeenth century. French cultural studies gave them a common name - "small Dutch", which is not associated with the scale of talent and denotes attachment to certain topics from everyday life, the opposite of "big" style with large paintings on historical or mythological subjects. The history of the origin of Dutch painting was described in detail in the nineteenth century, and the authors of the works on it also used this term. "Small Dutch" were distinguished by secular realism, appealed to the surrounding world and people, used painting, rich in tones.

Main stages of development

The history of the origin of Dutch painting can be divided into several periods. The first lasted from about 1620 to 1630 years, when in the national art there was a statement of realism. The Dutch painting experienced the second period in 1640-1660. This time, which is the real flowering of the local art school. Finally, the third period, the time when Dutch painting began to decline - from 1670 to the beginning of the eighteenth century.

It is worth noting that the cultural centers during this time have changed. In the first period the leading artists worked in Haarlem, and the main representative was Khalsa. Then the center moved to Amsterdam, where the most significant works were performed by Rembrandt and Vermeer.

Scenes of everyday life

Listing the most important genres of Dutch painting, you must start with a household - the most vivid and original in history. It was the Flemings who opened the world to scenes from the everyday life of ordinary people, peasants and townspeople or burghers. Pioneers were Ostade and his followers Audenrogge, Bega and Dyusart. On the early canvases Ostade people play cards, quarrel and even fight in a tavern. Each picture is distinguished by a dynamic, somewhat brutal character. Dutch painting of the time also tells about peaceful scenes: in some works the peasants talk behind a pipe and a mug of beer, spend time at a fair or with the family. The influence of Rembrandt led to the widespread use of soft chiaroscuro and golden color. Urban scenes inspired artists such as Hulse, Leicester, Molenaire and Codde. In the middle of the seventeenth century, masters depicted doctors, scientists in the process of work, their own workshops, household chores or social events. Each story was entertaining, sometimes to the grotesque didactic. Some masters were inclined to poetise everyday life, for example, Terborch depicted scenes of playing music or flirting. Metsu used bright colors, turning everyday into a holiday, and de Hoh was inspired by the simplicity of family life, flooded with scattered daylight. Later representatives of the genre, which include such Dutch masters of painting as Van der Werf and Van der Ner, in their quest for an elegant image, often created several pretentious stories.

Nature and landscapes

In addition, Dutch painting is widely represented in the genre of landscape. He first emerged in the works of such masters of Haarlem as van Goyen, de Molayne and van Ruisdael. It was they who began to depict the corners of the country in a certain silvery light. The material unity of nature came out in the works to the fore. Separately it is worth mentioning seascapes. Marinists were such Dutch artists of the 17th century as Porcellis, de Vliger and van de Capelle. They were not so much trying to convey certain marine scenes, as they tried to depict the very water, the play of light on it and in the sky.

By the second half of the seventeenth century, more emotional works with philosophical ideas arose in the genre. Maxim opened the beauty of the Dutch landscape Jan van Ruisdael, depicting it in all the drama, dynamics and monumentality. The continuer of his traditions was Hobbam, who preferred sunny landscapes. Koninck portrayed the panoramas, and van der Ner was engaged in the creation of night scenery and the transmission of moonlight, sunrise and sunset. For a number of artists, also characteristic is the image in the landscapes of animals, for example, grazing cows and horses, as well as hunting and scenes with cavalrymen. Later, artists began to get carried away with foreign nature - Bot, van Lar, Venix, Berhem and Hackert portrayed Italy, bathed in the rays of the southern sun. The originator of the genre of the city's landscape was Sanreadham, whose best followers are the Berkhade brothers and Jan van der Heyden.

Image of interiors

A separate genre, which differed Dutch painting in its heyday, can be called sketches with church, palace and home rooms. Interiors appeared in the canvases of the second half of the seventeenth century by the masters of Delft - Haukgeest, van der Vlyt and de Witte, who became the main representative of the direction. Using the techniques of Vermeer, the artists depicted scenes filled with sunlight, full of emotions and volume.

Picturesque dishes and dishes

Finally, another characteristic genre of Dutch painting is still life, especially the image of breakfast. For the first time they were occupied with the Claes and Heda, who painted the covered tables with luxurious utensils. A picturesque mess and a special transfer of a cozy interior are filled with a silvery gray light, typical for silver and pewter dishes. Utrecht artists painted lush floral still lifes, and in The Hague, the masters were especially successful in depicting fish and marine reptiles. In Leiden arose the philosophical direction of the genre, in which, with symbols of sensual pleasure or earthly glory, skulls and hourglass adjoin to remind us of the transience of time. Democratic kitchen still life has become a hallmark of the art school of Rotterdam.