Holland gave us a huge number of the most famous, the greatest artists in the entire history of art. Holland and Flanders XV - XVII centuries. It was a real fertile soil for painters. Now we know them as great Dutch artists, Great Dutch and Flemish artists. There are so many of them that they are difficult to list them even in writing. Each self-respecting museum considers its duty the acquisition for the exposition of the artists of the past, immigrants from these places. It can be said that they became the founders of many genres of painting, developed special techniques of the image, which are used even in our time. The Netherlands School of Painting was one of the strongest in Europe. Here are just some names that are known to the whole world and who even know those who are not at all interested in world painting :, Breyget's family, Yang Vermeer, Peter de Heh, Hugo Van Gus, Paulus Potter, Brower Adrian, Jan Van Eyk and many -a lot others. It is even difficult to imagine, as it were, the art of painting, charts, if it were not for this rich in the artists of the formation in the history of mankind.

Adrian Van Ostay. Fishwife

Jerome Bosch. Temptation of St. Anthony

Powllus Potter. Young bull

Peter de Heh. Dvorik in Dalphte.

Peter Clas. Still life with crab

Rembrandt. The night Watch

France Hals. Gypsy

Hugo van der Gus. Fall

Jan Vermeer. Procuress

Peter Bruegel senior. Snow hunters

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The history of any country finds its expression in art, and is especially indicative of this pattern on the example of painting. In particular, on the example of the painting of the Netherlands who survived the revolution, which greatly influenced the further fate of the once unified state. As a result of the revolution in the XVII century The Netherlands shared into two parts: in Holland and Flanders (the territory of modern Belgium), which remained under the rule of Spain.

Historical their development went different ways., as well as cultural. So, it became possible to divide the once overall concept of the Netherlands painting on Dutch and Flemish.

Dutch painting

The culture of the Netherlands of the XVII century is the living personification of the celebration of the state that has gained independence. Artists, covered by the taste of freedom, filled this time by Paphos of social, spiritual updates and first paid close attention to the surrounding environment - Nature, human image.Dutch genranists are inspired ordness, small everyday episodes, What becomes one of the characteristic features of Dutch realism.

In addition, the main customers of art became not only representatives of elite tops, but also merchants, peasants. This is partly and influenced the development of painting as an interior subject, and also contributed to an increase in public interest in the themes of everyday life.

The art of Holland XVII century is famous an extensive genre system of painting.

For example, among the landscape players were marinists, artists depicting species of plain places or forest ages were also masters of winter landscapes or paintings with moonlight; There were genreers specializing in the figures of peasants, burghers, on homemade scenes; There were masters of various types of still lifes - "breakfasts", "desserts", "shops".

Strictly focusing the painter on one subsystem of the genre contributed to the detail and improvement of all Dutch painting as a whole.

XVII century is truly truly golden era of dutch painting.

Artistic features

Light and thin color feeling Play in the pictures of Dutch artists a major role.

For example, as in the pictures Rembrandt -the artist who has become the personification of the whole era of the painting of Holland. Rembrandt was not afraid Realistic detailscontrary to the canons of the image of reality and because of contemporaries he gone up the "painter of ugliness."

Rembrandt first attached particular importance Game light, What allowed him to invent different from the rest letter Manera. According to Andre Felibiena "... Often he only bared wide brush strokes and put out the thick layers of paints one after another, not allowing himself a little labor to make more smooth and soft transitions from some tones to others."

"Return of the Prodigal Son", 1666-1669

Jan Vermeer(Vermeer / Delftsky Vermer ) - painter harmony and clarity of the world's vision. Famous for its strength figurative decisions and tendency to the image opoeted atmosphere of everydayness, He paid special attention colorful nuanceWhat made it possible to transmit the character of light-hearted space.

"Young woman with water jug", 1660-1662

Jacob van Ryutsdalwrote monumental landscapes in cold colorswho embodied his subtle feeling of dramatic and even gloomy variability of the world.

"Jewish cemetery", 1657

Albert Cape famous for an unusual look at Composition Landscape - he has it given, as a rule, with a low point of viewwhich allows you to transfer the extensity of the extended space.

"Cows on the river bank", 1650

France Hals (Gals / Hals) known outstanding genre and group portraitsattracting its own characterity.

"Tsygana", 1628-1630

Flemish Painting

In Flanders, the cultural background was noticeably different from Dutch. Feudal nobility and catholic churchstill played a major role in the life of the country, being the main customers of art . Therefore, the main types of work of Flemish painting remained paintings for castles, for urban homes of rich and majestic altar images for Catholic churches. Scenes of antique mythology and biblical stories, huge still lifes, portraits of eminent customers, image of lush festivals - the main genres of art of Flanders XVII century.

The Flemish art of Baroque (cheerful, material and sensual, lush in the abundance of forms) was found from the features of Italian and Spanish Renaissance in the refraction of their national flavor, especially manifested himself in painting.

Flemish liveliness is different monumental forms, dynamic rhythm and decorative style celebration. Especially brightly it was manifested in creativity Peter Paul Rubens,who became the central figure of Flemish painting.

His style is characterized by lush, bright image Large heavy shapes in the rapid motion. Rubens are characterized by warm rich paints, sharp contrasts of light and shadow, the overall spirit of the victorious holiday. Eugene Delacroix said:

"Its main quality, if he preferred to many others, - This is a shrill spirit, that is, a piercing life; Without this, no artist can be great ... Titian and Paolo Veronesethey seem to be terribly humble next to him. "

Everything inherent in his brushes and has become common features of the whole school.

"Union of Earth and Water", 1618

Art Jacob Yordans Attracts cheerfulness, monumentality, but at the same time sincerely, the love of Yordans to the image rich feasts (Repeated repetition of the plot of the "bean king" is confirmed. By the way, the bean king on the feasts voted any baked bob cake in her piece of cake) and the heroes of Christian legends as fantastic health of Flemaders embody the spirit of culture of Flanders of the XVII century.

"Holiday of the Bobov King", 1655

Antonis Wang Dyk. - Portraitist who created the type of aristocratic portrait, executed by the finest psychologism, expressed in attention to the dynamics of the silhouette and the overall expressivity of the types.

"Portrait of Charles I on the hunt", 1635

France Sneders Known by the image of the sensual nature of things represented by the colorfulness and monumentality of decorative still lifes, animalistic canvases.

"Fruit shop", 1620

Jan Bruegel Jr. - The grandson of the artist Peter Bruegel senior, who remembered by the skillful mixing of the landscape and household painting, landscape and allegorical mythological plots, as well as the talented transmission of the Panorama effect due to the high location of the horizon.

"Flora on the background of the landscape", 1600-1610

The main differences of the Dutch and Flemish painting

1. In Holland the main customer of art becomes working layer, in Flanders - the royal yard and know.
2. Plots. Different customers are asking for different things. Simple folks interested in paintings depicting the surrounding everyday among the nations Expected in demand antique and biblical plots, luxury demonstration.
3. Master of writing. Characteristic a feature of Dutch painting becomes a subtle feeling of lighting. From now on, this is the main tool that allows you to reflect the image of unsightly reality. In Flemish painting, the central position occupycharacteristic Baroque means of artistic expressiveness - forms, brilliant flavor, abundance and luxury.

The end of the era of the Dutch and Flemish painting can be called similar - under the influence of the influence of French tastes and the views and Dutch, and Flemish national consciousness gradually weaken, and therefore the concept of Flemish and Dutch painting becomes the historical past.

The events of the XVII century in Holland and Flanders presented the world of outstanding authors and a fresh look at the overall development of the trends of world painting.

Sources:

1. Small art history. Western European art XVII.

2. Flemish and Dutch art of the XVII century. Like two poles of the month of interest of the day // banauka.ru/6067.html.

3. The era of the Renaissance in the Netherlands // http://m.smallbay.ru/article/lar_renaiss_niderland.html.

Dutch painting to the end of the XVI century is inseparably connected with Flemish and has the general name of the Netherlands School. Both of them, being a branch of the German painting, consider the Van Eykov brothers with their own expenses and go for a long time in one direction, develop the same technique, so the artists of Holland are no different from their flank and Brabant counterparts.

When the Dutch people got rid of the oppression of Spain, the Dutch painting acquires a national character. Dutch artists distinguishes the reproduction of nature with special love in all its simplicity and truth and a subtle feeling of color.

The Dutch was the first to comprehend that even in an inanimate nature breathes his life, everything is attractive, everything is capable of causing the thought and excite the movement of the heart.

Among the landscape players who interpret their domestic nature are especially respected by Jan Wang Goyen (1595-1656), who, together with Ezaias Van de Veld (approx. 1590-1630) and St. Peter Moles Senior (1595-1661), is considered the founder of the Dutch landscape.

But the artists of Holland can not be distributed to schools. The expression "Dutch School of Painting" is very conditional. In the Netherlands, organized societies of artists, who presented free corporations, who defended the rights of their members and did not influence creative activities.

The name of Rembrandt (1606-1669) shines especially brightly, in the personality of which all the best qualities of Dutch painting focused and his influence was reflected in all its birth - in portrait, historical paintings, household scenes and landscape.

In the XVII century, household painting successfully developed, the first experiments of which are noted in the old Netherlands school. In this genre, the names of Cornelis Bega (1620-64), Richard Brannyburg (1650-1702), Cornelis Duzart (1660-1704), Cornellis Duzart (1660-1704), Henric Rockies, nicknamed by Cherg (1621-82),

To the category of genre, you can rank artists who wrote scenes of military life. The chief representative of this industry of painting is the famous and unusually prolific Phillips of Hoover (1619-68)

In a special discharge, masters can be distinguished, which in their paintings combined the landscape with the image of animals, a famous in a number of such painters of rural idylli - Poulus Potter (1625-54); Albert Cape (1620-91).

With the greatest attention, the artists of Holland belonged to the sea.

In the work of Villem Wang de Velte Senior (1611 or 1612-93), his famous son Villem Wang de Velte Jr. (1633-1707), Lyudolf BakMaisena (1631-1708), the painting of marine species amounted to their specialty.

In the field of still life, Yang-Davids de Gem (1606-83), his son Cornelis (1631-95), Abraham Mignon (1640-79), Melchior de Gundecter (1636-95), Maria Osterweik (1630-93) .

The brilliant period of Dutch painting has long stretched - only one century.

With the beginning of the XVIII century. Its decline comes, the reason for the tastes and the views of the sprayed era of Louis XIV. Instead of a direct attitude towards nature, love for domestic and sincerity, the domination of biased theories, conventionity, imitation of the centers of the French school. The main distributor of this regrettable direction was settled in Amsterdam Flemandes Gerard de Lesshes (1641-1711),

The famous Adrian Wang de Verff (1659-1722) also contributed (1659-1722), the dull flavor of the pictures of whose paintings was no time as the riding perfection.

A foreign influence on the twentieth centuries of the XIX century.

Subsequently, Dutch artists turned to their old days to strict observation of nature.

Especially rich in the newest Dutch painting by landscapeists. Andreas Selfhaut (1787-1870), Barn Kookkuk (1803-62), Anton Mauwe (1838-88), Jacob Maris (r. 1837), Johannes Weissengruh (1822-1880), etc.

Between the newest Marinists of the Netherlands Palm Championship belongs to Johannesu Schotel (1787-1838).

In the painting of animals, the great art of Worthers Vershur showed (1812-74).

You can buy reproductions of paintings by Dutch artists in our online store.

With the celebration of the bourgeois building and calvinism of the malt of monumental-decorative and church art in Holland collapsed. Tasks for the painting of palaces and castles, which put Baroque artists in monarchies, almost did not have places in Holland. The nobility was too weak to ensure the existence of a large decorative art. Calvinism, on the other hand, was against paintings in his temples.
The demand for painting works was nevertheless extremely great. He walked the advantage of individuals, and, moreover, to a large extent from the circles that did not have a major material supply. It develops and becomes a dominant type of small machine paintings designed to hang in modest spaces. Along with the orders, the paintings were even more often performed for the art market, and the trade was widespread. The great demand for the paintings led huge products, and because of their overproduction, many artists had to be seen except for their direct profession, other sources of existence. Outstanding painters often turn out to be gardeners, then the dealers' dealers, then employees (Goyen, walls, Gobbema, etc.).
With regard to the theme and visual techniques in the Dutch painting of the 17th century, the beginning of realism is entirely dominated. The artist was primarily required by the truthful transmission of external forms of the surrounding life in all the variety of its phenomena.
The importance of the personality in the new bourgeois society had its consequence the extremely distribution of the portrait. A long period of struggle, where the winner felt his strength, contributed to this process. The major role played by the different organizations and first of all the rifle societies, caused a special type of group public portrait, which gets widespread development and becomes one of the specific phenomena of Dutch painting. Following the numerous group portraits of shooters, there are similar nature of a group of representatives of certain trading workshops, physician corporations (the so-called "anatomy"), managers are fierce.
The resistance tension ingoing invaders aggravated the national feeling. From the art began not only truthfulness - it should have been depicted, folk people and the situation of today's day, the unaccusted pictures of their native nature, all the consciousness proud of and what was used to see the eye: ships, beautiful cattle, abundance of the dog, flowers. Genre, landscape, animal images and still life became dominant types of topics. A religious painting rejected by the Protestant Church was not excluded, but did not play any major role and acquired a completely different character than in the countries of the ownership of Catholicism. The mystical beginning was supplanted in them with a realistic interpretation of plots, and the paintings of this circle were enjoyed the benefit of the form of household painting. Scenes from ancient history are found as an exception and are used for hints on current political events. As all the allegory, they were successful in narrow circles involved in literary and humanitarian interests.
A typical feature of the Dutch school of this time is a narrow specialization on certain types of subjects. This specialization leads to the differentiation of genres: Some artists develop almost exclusively household scenes from the life of the middle and higher layers of the bourgeoisie, all the attention of others is directed to the peasant life; Among the landscape players, many with difficulty can find something other than the plains, canals, villages and pastures; Others are enthusiating forest motifs, others specialize in the image of the sea. Dutch artists not only put a task of accurate transfer of depicted objects and phenomena, but they strive to give the impression of space, as well as the impact on the forms of enveloping their atmosphere and light. The problem of transmission of light and air is a common and main picturesque quest for the 17th century Dutch school. Thus, painting involuntarily acquires the beginning of emotionality, causing certain sentiment from the audience.
The first quarter of the 17th century is for the painting of the Holland in the transition period, when only the marked features have not yet received their full development. From the thematic side, the main types of Dutch painting - landscape and life - while relatively few differentiated. And genre and landscape elements in the paintings of this time are often equivalent. In purely species images, there are many conventions both in the overall construction of the landscape and flavor.
Along with continuing live local realistic traditions, Italy is strongly influenced by Italy, in particular both its manneristic flows and realistic art of Caravaggio. The typical representative of the last direction was Honthorst (1590-1656). The impact on the Dutch worked at the beginning of the 17th century by the German artist Adam Elsheimer (1578-1610) is also very noticeable. The romanticism of the interpretation of those selected from the Bible or from the ancient literature, as well as well-known orientalism (attraction to the east), which was expressed in the selection of types, robes and other parts, are combined in its work with an increased desire for decorative effects. As the largest artist of this group, Peter Lastman nominated (1583-1633).
France Hals. The first time by the artist, with the work of which the Dutch school enters into a period of complete heyday, is Frans Hals (approx. 1580-1666). His activity was held almost entirely in Harlem. Here for about 1616, he is put forward as the advanced largest portrait and retains its role in this area until the end of life. With the advent of Hals strictly realistic and acutely individual Dutch portrait reaches maturity. All timid, small, naturalistic, distinguishing its predecessors is overcome.
The initial phase of the art of Hals is not clarified. We immediately see the master decisive to the parent portrait problem. He writes one after another picture depicting the arrows of the Corporation of St. Adriana and St. George (Garlem, Museum of France Hals), where a crowded multiplied assembly and brightness of each of those present are also transmitted with an inimitable ease. The picturesque skill and the compositional resourcefulness of the groups go in these portraits hand in hand with extraordinary sharpness. Hals is not a psychologist: his models usually passes for him by. And he writes for the most part of the people whose whole life proceeds in conditions of intense, active activities, but not too deepening psychological order. But Hals, like no one, catches the appearance of these people, knows how to grab the most fleeting, but at the same time the most characteristic of the facial expression, in the pose, in gestures. Cheerful in nature, he seeks to capture every image in a moment of revival, joy, and no one with such subtlety and variety, as he, does not pass laughter. Portrait of an officer (1624, London, Wallace collection), swaying on the "Gytegeaisen" chair (end of the 1630s, Brussels, art gallery), "Gypsy" (end of 1620, Louvre), or the so-called "Harlem Witch" - Mallet Bobbe (Berlin) may be called as characteristic examples of its acute and often foul art. Men, women, children are portrayed by him with the same sensation of a lively image ("Portrait of a young man with a glove", approx. 1650, Hermitage). The Hals technique itself contributes to the impression of liveliness, unusually free and growing over the years in its latitude. The decorative colorfulness of early work is subsequently died, the flavor becomes silver, the freedom of ownership of black and white tones speaks about the skill that can afford to afford bold scenic donings. In some works, impressionistic techniques are scheduled. Hals writes countless individual portraits until the recent years of life, but cums again by group portraits. Generalized by color, discovering the elder weakness of hand in the figure, they remain nevertheless extremely expressive. Their characters represent groups of Elders Laddle (1664, Harlem, Museum of France Hals), where the eighty-year-old artist found himself the last shelter. His art was too advanced in his time to ensure material success in the environment of the then bourgeois society.
Rembrandt. The generation is later than Hals, against the background of an approved Dutch realism grows by a giant figure of Rembrandt (1606-1669). His creativity is the greatest pride of Holland, but the meaning of this master is not limited to the framework of one nationality. Rembrandt is represented by one of the largest realist artists of all time and at the same time one of the greatest masters of painting.
Rembrandt Harmens Wang Rhine was born in 1606 in Leiden and was the son of the prosperous owner of the flour mill. He early discovered the attraction to painting and after a short stay in Leiden University was completely given to art. Upon completion of the usual three-year training period, Rembrandt went to improve in Amsterdam, which became a student of Lastman. Having learned a number of techniques of the latter, he perceived and the influence of the realistic direction of Karavagist.
Returning to Leiden, Rembrandt began working as an independent master, had a great success, and this success prompted him to move to Amsterdam, where he settled since 1631. Here Rembrandt very soon became a fashionable artist, filled with orders and surrounded by many students. At the same time, it was revealed and the brightest time in his personal life.
In 1634, he married a young, Milovoid girl of Sasquia Wang-Ulena Borg, belonging to the visible bourgeois surname of Amsterdam and brought him into the dowry major state. It increased the already increasing wealth of prosperous master, provided him with material independence and at the same time allowed the passion for collecting works of art and all sorts of antique things.
Already during the stay of Rembrandt in Leiden and especially after the relocation in Amsterdam, the main features of his art affect with all certainty. The circle of his images covers religious stories, history, mythology, portrait, genre, animal world, landscape, still life. The focus of Rembrandt still has a person, psychologically correct transmission of characters and mental movements. This interest in psychological problems is manifested in countless portraits, as well as in the favorite Rembrandt biblical topics giving it a desired reason for the image of human relations and characters. The wonderful amazing gift of the narrative allows it to carry the audience not only the expressiveness of the images, but also the inhibitory of the filing of the selected plot.
Rembrandt Images detect its deeply realistic understanding of the tasks of art. He constantly studies nature and vigorously peering into all forms of surrounding reality. Its attention is attracted to everything in what the characterity is pronounced: the expression of people, gestures, movements, costumes. He fixes his observations in drawings, then in the picturesque etudes. The latter are mainly on its early period. The acquired knowledge of the form and its expressiveness becomes an integral part of all the composite works of Rembrandt and informs them an extraordinary truthfulness.
In parallel with exacerbate attention to the essence of the phenomena, Rembrandt is entirely absorbed in purely picturesque problems and mainly the problem of lighting. The uniqueness and skill of her decisions brought him the glory of the greatest painter. The sophistication of Rembrandt Light in combination with coloristic effects is a high artistic value in the masters' paintings. But this is not only self-sufficient decorative value. Rembrandta interpretation of lighting effects is at the same time one of the main means of identifying the nature of images. His composition is based on the ratio of illuminated and shadow plans. Their distribution that is allocating some forms and the scraasing other attracts the attention of the viewer to what is particularly essential for narrative or characteristics and thereby enhances expressiveness. The scenic side is organically connected with the content.
Rembrandt's artistic activity from beginning to end is imbued with internal unity. But his creative path allows you to distinguish between a number of clearly pronounced stages characterized by some specific features.
After years of apprenticeship and the first independent steps, such a new stage are the 1630s. During this period, Rembrandt is strong, on the one hand, romantic elements and fantasy, on the other - the formal features of the Baroque art. The impression of fiction is caused mainly by the effect of lighting, far from always dependent on a certain source, but generated by the radiating ability of the items themselves. For the baroque trends of the Rembrandt art of this period, the initiative of the artistic language, dynamism and pathos of compositions, in part, the sharpness of the flavor. At this stage, Rembrandt is constantly the tendency to theatricalization of images, prompting the masters to write himself and its close-fitted in lush raincoats, helmets, turbans, berets or depict Saskoviah in the form of biblical heroines, then an ancient goddess.
To custom portrait, it is suitable, of course, otherwise. The characteristics distinguish their liveliness, the skill of forming forms, the search for elegacity and at the same time, the famous rigor justify its then glory as a portraitist. A group portrait known as the "Anatomy of Doctor Tulip" (1632, Hague, Mauritzheis,) where the ability to unite depicted people's attention to the lecture, read by a tulite at an anatomical table, was joined by the features, was the first particularly loud success of Rembrandt.
With the extreme abundance of portrait works falling on the decade under consideration, Rembrandt found time for a fascinating figured, narrative painting. "Angel leaving the Tovia family" (1637, Louvre) can serve as an example of the marked baroque features of this period. The plot borrowed from the Bible, where the moment is submitted when an angel, who helped the son of Tovia to heal his father, leaves the family-paid family, is saturated with elements of the genre. Another definitely a genome approach to the topic is captured in the Hermitage picture "Parable about the grapeters" (1637). In this case, the evangelical parable turns into a purely realistic scene of calculating the rich owner with workers. The loyalty of gestures and expressions of individuals here is not less characteristic of Rembrandt than the picturesque problem of the transmission of light, flowing into small windows and serves in the depths of a high adhesive room.
Picturesque skill and characteristic of Rembrandt in the 1630s greenish-golden flavor manifest themselves with all the fullness in one of the most famous pictures - Hermitage "Dana" (1636). On the sensation of life in the transfer of the body, in a gesture, in the expressness of the face, it is unusually brightly revealed by the realism of the artistic concept of the master at this time of his creative development.
Since the beginning of the 1640s, Rembrandt's creativity joins a new phase, lasting until the middle of the next decade. The independence of an understanding of the master of the tasks of art, his desire for deep life truth, interest in psychological problems, over the years I had ever more and more, revealed in Rembrandte the largest creative personality, far away the culture of the bourgeois society surrounding it. The deep content of Rembrandt art was the latter inaccessible. It wanted the art of realistic, but more superficial. The originality of the picturesque techniques of Rembrandt in turn went wrong with a generally accepted careful, somewhat sliming manner of the letter. As the times of the national heroic struggle for independence was moved into the past, in the tastes of the dominant environment, the trends towed to the elegacity and known idealization of the image. The disgracement of Rembrandt's views, supported by his material independence, led him to a complete discrepancy with society. This gap with the bourgeois medium affected with all certainty due to the order of the master of a large group portrait of the Guild of Amsterdam shooters. The picture (1642, Amsterdam), executed as a result of this order, did not satisfy customers and remained incomprehensible even artistic circles. Instead of a more or less ordinary portrait group, Rembrandt gave a picture of the speeches of the armed squad, riding the sounds of the drum behind his leaders. Portrait characteristic depicted retreated to the background before the scene dynamic. The widely conceived painting of contrasts of lighting reported a picture of a romantic character, thoring and its conditional name - "Night Watch".
The conflict with the dominant medium and the sharp due to this fall of orders did not affect the creative energy of the master. It also did not affect the change in the family conditions of Rembrandt, who lost his favorite wife, who had a permanent inspirational of his female images, was not reflected on it. A few years later her place occupies another. Appearing first in the humble role of the servant, Gendrick Stoffels then becomes the faithful girlfriend of the Master's life and provides him with peace and silence of family comfort.
The coming period was favorable for the development of Rembrandt's art. Zador youth disappears from his work. It becomes concentrated, balanced and even deeper. The complexity of compositions and pathos is replaced by simplicity. Sincerity of feelings is not violated by the search for external effects. The problem of lighting still owns the masters. Coloring becomes hot. Golden yellow and red tones dominate it. Religious in the nature of the subject, but purely genre on the interpretation of the plot, the Hermitage picture "Holy Family" (1645) is extremely characteristic of this time.
Along with biblical genre compositions, this period is replete with a new image of the image of reality - landscapes for Rembrandta. Having gave in some cases to tribute to their romantic entrepreneurs, he creates along with it exciting the strict realism of the attachment approach of an untrined Dutch village. Little "Winter View" (1646, Kassel), in the light of a clear frosty day, the peasant courtyard and several figures on the stroit of the frozen channel, according to the subtleties of the feeling and veracity of the visual perception, serves as one of the most perfect samples of the realistic landscape of the Dutch.
In Portraight, Rembrandt is now free when choosing models and writes the benefit of a person with pronounced individuality. This is mainly older women and eagle-Jews. But with the same sharpness, he turns out to be able to transfer the charm of a young female person or charm of youthful appearance. All the petty is inferior in these portraits of generalized, but at the same time extraordinary acute submission of the image. This largely contributes to the increasing latitude of technical execution manners.
Despite the extensiveness and artistic value of Rembrandt created during this period, the financial situation of Rembrandt was extremely difficult for the mid-1650s. Due to the fall in the number of orders, a difficult sales of paintings and, in particular, the carelessness of the master in the conduct of their affairs Rembrandt experienced large material difficulties. The debt associated with the acquisition during the life of Saskiya is expensive at home, threatened with a complete ruin. Attempts to get out of the debt could only stop the catastrophe, but she still broke out. In the summer of 1656, Rembrandt was declared insolvent and all his property was sold from the auction. Elevated familiar bed, he was forced to move with his family to the poor Jewish quarter of the trading capital, and here in a sharply felt lack of his last days.
These adversity, as well as the comprehensive Rembrandt then misfortune - the death of Gendrik, the death of the only son of the titus, were powerless to stop the further growth of his genius. The end of the 1650s and 1660s is the most ambitious phase of Rembrandt's creativity. It represents the synthesis of all of its preceding psychological and picturesque quests. Exceptional strength of images, simplicity of design, the intensity of the hot flavor and the scope of picturesque texture constitute the main features of this period. These qualities are equally manifested both in portraits and in biblical compositions. Created at this time group portrait of "Sindics" (elders of the cloudy shop, 1662, Amsterdam) is deservedly considered one of the vertices of Rembrandt's creativity). Acute psychological characteristic, simplicity of construction, which is uncomplicated by the rhythm of lines and masses, as well as a meager in terms of the number of colors, but the intensive color is summarized the entire preceding path of Rembrandt-portraity. In the field of biblical painting, the same role belongs to the "return of the Prodigal Son", located in the Hermitage. The scene of reconciliation renounced in his infertility of the Son and the All-Friendly Father on simplicity, drama and subtleties of the transfer of human experiences remains unsurpassed in world art. It is difficult for her to find anything equal to the saturation of the tone and latitude of the letter.
"The prodigal son" is one of the most recent paintings by the master and, apparently, dates back to 1669 - the year of the death of Rembrandt. This death passed completely unnoticed, and only many years later, in the 18th century, the understanding of the art of this great artist began to grow.
The value of Rembrandt is due to the painting of the master of his huge heritage as graphics. All the above properties of Rembrandt's works have affected the graphic works no less bright than in painting, and moreover, both in the original drawings and in the field of printed graphics, engravings. In recently, Rembrandt is the greatest master of the etch.
For its characteristics, the etchings have no less meaning than paintings. The distinguished Rembrandt depth of psychological analysis, the expressive realism of the images and the perfection of the ownership of art technician affected the long row of wonderful sheets, thematically even more diverse than the painting of the master. Especially famous belong to "Christ, healing patients" (the so-called "sheet in a hundred florines", approx. 1649), "Three Crosses" (1653), portraits of Lutma (1656), Harling (1655), Six (1647 ), as well as landscapes known as "Three True (1643) and" Gold Weigher's Manor "(1651).
No less significant place in the graphic heritage of Rembrandt takes pictures. The acuity and peculiarity of the Rembrandt perception of the surrounding world affected these numerous and varied sheets with a special force. The manner draw, as the picturesque manner of Rembrandt, evolves noticeably throughout the creative development of the wizard. If the early drawings of Rembrandt are worked in the details and are quite complex in composition, then in a more mature period, it performed them with a wide picturesque manner, extremely concise and simple. Rembrandt usually painted with a goose or reed pen and was able to achieve with the most simple techniques of exceptional expressiveness. His drawings, even when they are minute sketches of some ordinary motive, are a complete integer, quite transmitting all the variety of nature.
The art of Rembrandt as a whole remained the incomprehensible contemporaries. During the success of the school of students, of which Ferdinand Pain (1616-168-1680), Herbrandan van Den Den, acquired the greatest fame (1621-1674) and Art de Helder (1645-1727). Having learned the theme, composite techniques and types of teachers, they did not go all the same in their figure painting on the external imitation of Rembrandt receptions. The lively influence of the master, opposite that, definitely affected the numerous landscape players adjacent to him - Philips Kindka (1619-1688), Domera (1622-1700) and others. Regardless of this, its development of the problem of light has become the cornerstone for the development of all subsequent Dutch painting.
Full recognition of the creativity of Rembrandt gets, however, only in the 19th century. And from now on, it does not cease to be one of the highest samples of realistic and at the same time the picturesque embodiment of images.

Holland. 17th century. The country is experiencing an unprecedented flourishing. The so-called "golden age". At the end of the 16th century, several provinces of the country achieved independence from Spain.

Now the simplystan Netherlands went to their way. And Catholic Flanders (the current Belgium) under the wing of Spain - its own.

In independent Holland, religious painting almost no one needed. The Protestant Church did not approve the luxury of the decoration. But this circumstance "played on the hand" of painting secular.

Love for this kind of art woke up literally every resident of the new country. The Dutchman wanted to see his own life in the pictures. And the artists willingly walked to meet them.

Never have ever depicted the surrounding reality. Ordinary people, ordinary rooms and the most ordinary breakfast of the citizen.

Realism flourished. Up until the 20th century, he will be a worthy competitor to Academism with his nymphs and Greek goddesses.

These artists call the "small" dutch. Why? The pictures were small in size, because they were created for small houses. So, almost all the pictures of Jan Vermeer in a height of no more than half a meter.

But I like another version more. In the Netherlands in the 17th century there lived and worked the great master, the "big" Dutchman. And everyone else compared to him was "small."

We are talking, of course, about Rembrandte. From him and start.

1. Rembrandt (1606-1669)

Rembrandt. Self-portrait aged 63 years. 1669 National London Gallery

Rembrandt was able to experience the broader gamut of emotions during his life. Therefore, in his early works so much fun and bravadas. And so many complex feelings - in the later.

Here he is young and disappointed in the picture "The Blind Son in Tavern." On the knees - the beloved wife Saskovia. He is a popular artist. Orders pour the river.

Rembrandt. The prodigal son in the tavern. 1635 Gallery of old masters, Dresden

But all this will disappear after some 10 years. Sasquia will die of consume. Popularity will dissolve as smoke. The big house with a unique collection will be taken for debts.

But the same Rembrandt will appear, which will remain on the century. Great feelings of heroes. Their most intimate thoughts.

2. France Hals (1583-1666)

France Hals. Self-portrait. 1650 Metropolitan Museum, New York

France Hals is one of the greatest portraits of all time. Therefore, I would also consider it to the "big" dutch.

In Holland, at that time it was customary to order group portraits. So many similar works appeared with the image of people working together: the arrows of the same guild, the doctors of one town, managing the nursing home.

In this genre, Hals allocated most of all. After all, most of these portraits were like a deck of cards. People are sitting at the table with the same expression of the face and just watch. Hals had differently.

Look at his group portrait of the "Arrow Guild of St. George.

France Hals. Arrows Guild Hild George. 1627 Museum of France Hals, Garel, Netherlands

Here you will not find a single repetition in the position or expression of the face. At the same time, there are no chaos. There are many characters, but no one seems to be superfluous. Due to the surprisingly correct placement of figures.

Yes, and in a single portrait Hals exceeded many artists. His models are natural. People from the highest society in his paintings are devoid of contrived magnifies, and model from the bottom does not look humiliated.

And his heroes are very emotional: they smile, laugh, gesturing. As, for example, it is a "gypsy" with a loose look.

France Hals. Gypsy. 1625-1630

Hals, like Rembrandt, finished life in poverty. For the same reason. His realism came against the tastes of customers. Who wanted their appearance to embellish. Hals did not go to frank flattery, and thus signed a sentence - "oblivion."

3. Gerard Terborh (1617-1681)

Gerard Terboro. Self-portrait. 1668 Royal Gallery Mauritshais, Hague, Netherlands

Terboro was a wizard of a household genre. Rich and not very burghers are slowly talking, the ladies read letters, and the pioneer is watching courting. Two or three closely arranged figures.

It was this master that worked the canons of the household genre. Which then borrowed by Yang Vermeer, Peter de Heh and many other "small" dutch.

Gerard Terboro. Glass of lemonade. 1660s. State Hermitage, St. Petersburg

"The glass of lemonade" is one of the famous works of Terborch. It can see one more advantage of the artist. Incredibly realistic image of dress fabric.

There is terboro and unusual work. What speaks of his desire to go beyond the requirements of customers.

Its "grinder" shows the life of the poorest inhabitants of Holland. We are used to seeing cozy courtyards and clean rooms in the pictures of "small" dutch. But Terboro dared to show unsightly Holland.

Gerard Terboro. Grinder. 1653-1655 Government Museums Berlin

As you understand, such works were not in demand. And they are a rare phenomenon even at Terborh.

4. Jan Vermeer (1632-1675)

Jan Vermeer. Artist workshop. 1666-1667 Museum of Art History, Vienna

What Yang Vermeer looked, it is not reliably known. It is only obvious that he portrayed himself in the painting "artist's workshop". True from the back.

Therefore, it's surprising that a new fact from the life of the master has recently become known. He is connected with his masterpiece "Delft street".

Jan Vermeer. Delft street. 1657 Government Museum in Amsterdam

It turned out that the childhood of Vermeer passed on this street. The depicted house belonged to his aunt. She raised his five children in it. Perhaps it sits on the threshold with sewing, and two of her children play on the sidewalk. Vermeer himself lived in the house opposite.

But more often he portrayed the internal situation of these houses and their inhabitants. It would seem that the plots of paintings are very simple. Here is a Miloid lady, a secured townoor, checks the work of my scales.

Jan Vermeer. Woman with weights. 1662-1663 National Art Gallery, Washington

What did Vermeer stand out among thousands of other "small" dutch?

He was an unsurpassed Light Master. In the picture "Woman with weights" light softly envelops the face of the heroine, fabric and walls. Giving an unbearable spirituality depicted.

And the compositions of the Vermeer paintings are carefully recovered. You will not find any excess details. It is enough to remove one of them, the painting "crumble", and the magic will go away.

All this was given to Vermeleu not easy. Such stunning quality required painstaking work. Total 2-3 pictures per year. As a result, the inability to feed the family. Vermeer worked as an art dealer, selling the work of other artists.

5. Peter de Heh (1629-1884)

Peter de Heh. Self-portrait. 1648-1649 Reyxmuseum, Amsterdam

Hoha often compared with Vermeer. They worked at one time, even there was a period that in one city. And in one genre - domestic. At Hoha, we also see one or two figures in the cozy Dutch courtyards or rooms.

Open doors and windows make the space of his paintings multilayer and entertaining. And the figures are inscribed in this space very harmoniously. As, for example, in his picture "The servant with a girl in the courtyard."

Peter de Heh. The maid with the girl in the courtyard. 1658 London National Gallery

Up to 20th century, Hech was valued very high. But the small works of his competitor of Vermeer are few who noticed.

But in the 20th century everything has changed. Slava Hoha Faming. However, his achievements in painting are difficult not to recognize. Few, who could competently combine the surrounding environment and people.

Peter de Heh. Players in the map in the sun room. 1658 Royal Art Assembly, London

Please note that in a modest house on the "Players in Maps" can hang a picture in a nothesive frame.

This once again talks about how among ordinary Dutch painting was popular. The paintings were decorated with each house: both the house of the rich Burger, and a modest citizen, and even a peasant.

6. Yang walls (1626-1679)

Yang walls. Self-portrait with lute. 1670s. Museum of Tissen-Bornemis, Madrid

Yang walls, perhaps, the most cheerful "small" dutchman. But loving morals. He often depicted taverns or poor houses in which there was a vice.

His main characters - walks and ladies of easy behavior. He wanted to entertain the viewer, but impuditly warned him from vicious life.

Yang walls. Kavardak. 1663 Museum of Art History, Vienna

There is a wall and more quiet work. Like, for example, the "morning toilet". But here the artist surprises the viewer too frank items. Here and traces from the gum stocking, and not an empty night pot. Yes, and somehow not at all by the way the dog lies right on the pillow.

Yang walls. Morning toilet. 1661-1665 Reyxmuseum, Amsterdam

But despite all the frivolism, the color solutions of the wall are very professional. In this, he was superior to many "small dutch". Look at how much the red stocking is perfectly combined with a blue jacket and a bright beige rug.

7. Jacobs Wang Reydal (1629-1882)

Portrait of a raisdale. Lithograph from the 19th century book.