Jacob Jordaens - the singer of a full-blooded life

Jacob Jordaens (1593-1678) was born and lived in a time that was contradictory for his homeland. The country split into two parts. The North was liberated from the power of Spain, while the south remained under its dominion, and Catholicism continued to flourish there. But everywhere the bourgeoisie grew stronger, its wealth increased, it flourished and wished to see around itself a splendor and a reflection of the fullness of life both in everyday objects and on canvases that she ordered artists. So there was a joyful, powerful, pompous, realistic style, reflecting the changes in society, very full-blooded and life-affirming.

Childhood and youth

A wealthy textile trader, Jacob Jordaens, had a large family of eleven children. The eldest son, who showed great artistic inclinations, sent painting to study. Before completing his studies, around 1615 Jacob Jordaens-son created "Portrait of a family with parents, brothers and sisters". As a detail here is presented his self-portrait. The young artist, who portrayed his large, uneven-aged family, is 22 years old.

His serious big eyes look at us, and in his hands he holds a lute. When the audience disperses, then light, joyful music, supporting harmony, will play. Angels store his family, twisted over the heads of characters. The color is sustained in warm golden brown tones, creating a cozy atmosphere of family well-being. And the faces are highlighted in golden color, and the facial expressions of the characters are clear and noticeable. The rest of the details the painter immerses in the shade, so that they do not interfere with the main thing - the perception of the expressions of persons.

Prado, Madrid, a masterpiece

Another "Family Portrait" Jacob Jordaens created, already married to Katharine van Noort and having a daughter Elizabeth for about four years. This is one of his four masterpieces.

The viewer looks diagonally from left to right, and the first glance falls on the blond girl who, leaning against her mother, holds the basket. The artist's wife, exquisitely dressed in a dark blue velvet dress with white lace cuffs and collar, is sitting relaxed in her chair. The golden corsage and gold bracelet on the arm emphasize the family's well-being. Next is a pink-cheeked servant in a red dress, which holds a basket of fruits. Her white apron and the collar of the dress echo the white apron of the artist's daughter, who painted himself in the far right corner, standing with a mandolin in his hand. Lighting is distributed so that all the figures and their faces are glowed with gold, behind them are deep, saturated shadows, from which all figures prominently protrude. This solemn portrait with elements of humor, which brings a little flirtatious daughter, combines both portrait persuasiveness, and the monumentality of the created images.

A masterpiece from Brussels

In 1625-1628, masterfully mastering a brush, the artist Jacob Jordaens wrote a canvas, which is called a little differently: "Allegory of Fertility" or "Allegory of Abundance." At this time he, like a great master, has 15 pupils already. In his multi-figure composition, he arranged with great skill the nymphs and satyrs. All the figures are carefully written out realistically and are still arranged diagonally. The satyr, squatting in the left corner, attracts attention with a huge basket of fruits and fruits - a marvelous still-life, traditional for Dutch painting.

Nymphs and satires occupy two-thirds of the canvas. They are all busy with bunches of blue grapes. Exquisitely written out the whiteest skin of women, which represents a contrast with the swarthy satyrs on the right.

The whole composition is a full-blooded blossoming life, which the Dutch loved so much.

The Hermitage is another masterpiece

One of the pearls created by the master of the brush, "The Bean King" - is stored in Russia. In 1638 Jacob Jordaens in Antwerp, where his whole life passed, will write this full of optimism and humor work. Influenced by the work of the artist Rubens will affect this canvas with soft color gradations, shimmering with all shades of silvery-blue, emerald green and golden brown.

This is a genre scene, which depicts a national holiday. Anyone who finds a bean in his piece of cake will be appointed king. Raised glasses in honor of the king, who is wearing a crown, someone is already singing songs. Both old and young are having fun from the bottom of their hearts. There are incredible noise and din. As on any national holiday, all the prohibitions imposed by the church have been lifted here. But this is only for a while. Tomorrow the Dutch, with their inherent diligence, will take up their work.

50-60s of the 17th century

This is the period of full maturity of the master. Already by the 1940s he became the most popular artist in Flanders. He is the only one working in the "big style". He ordered paintings for the English King Charles I and his wife. But these works are not preserved. They were burnt during a fire. For the Oran dynasty also wrote Jacob Jordaens. The paintings by this time change the color. They become silvery-blue, like a huge multi-figure pathos solemn canvas "The Triumph of Prince Frederick of Orange," in addition to people introduced and lions and horses.

The death of the artist

Life was long, filled with works, not with bright events, by Jacob Jordaens. Biography can fit in two or three lines or even words: born, studied, married, wrote. The master died in a very old age. He turned 85 years old. But the illness that took him away is not known these days. Its medieval name can not be deciphered. But with us remained the picturesque masterpieces of Jacob Jordaens. They survived the centuries.