Appreciating Baroque #Rijksmuseum
*) Favored Piece
Flight of Angels, Two Holding a Large Feather, Taddeo Zuccaro, c. 1556 - c. 1558
Pen & brown ink on brown paper with brown wash, heightened with white, h 347mm × w 245mm
Starting with my favored piece, even though this is not Baroque I’m going to talk about. It goes so much in harmony when brown ink is carved on brown paper, naturally and wholly fused to the point that I thought this was a digital art print/design, splendid. This elaborate sheet itself was a design for a spandrel. As a mannerist artist, Zuccaro seemed to really show the characteristics of mannerism in his work by highlighting many sculptural forms with clarity of contrasting lines. Figura Serpentinata or technique intended to make figures look more dynamic, is as well used as we can see when they are pictured in spiral pose(s). The fact that it’s appeared in mono-colour doesn’t make his work less compelling since it goes along with subtle and hazy contours of surfaces rendered upon in such pleasing white-brownish hues, making the whole piece glances elegantly.
PORTRAITS
Portrait of a Girl Dressed in Blue, Johannes Cornelisz. Verspronck, 1641
oil on canvas, h 82cm × w 66.5cm
What an extreme realism Baroque always offers even in a seemingly simple portrait of a young girl, although what she wore - as it is identified – isn’t plain or simple at all. On the 17th century, it was accustomed they said to dress children the same as an adult also keeping them with the latest fashion. The parents added childish ornaments or accessories yet in pearls, golden earrings, or a brooch and here they are brushed in great details. But as I look closely, I spot the hint of melancholy in her face with her uptilted corner of her mouth, making it visible to see that she was a bit disdainful. And thus I am able discovering other characteristics in Baroque paintings besides the striking contrast between the light and the dark seen in the background, it is the very unique and clear depiction of emotions on the face.
Self-portrait, Rembrandt van Rijn, c. 1628
oil on panel, h 22.6cm × w 18.7cm
Getting to know Baroque style is certainly inseparable from recognizing one of the magnificent painters who adapted this style namely Rembrandt. Night Watch is indeed one of his great works, but what draws my attention is precisely this small portrait of himself. As also written in the description, “As inexperienced as he is, the young Rembrandt does not shy away from experimenting. Here the light rakes his right cheek while the rest of his face is enveloped in shadow.” Simple but really attractive, maybe one of the reasons is the using of distinct painting techniques. He rendered a lighter accent using the back of his brush to scratch lines in the wet paint, making it appears when it caught by the sunlight. The effect turns out to be very dynamic. This portrait is likewise another example of playing with vivid use of contrasting light in Baroque painting while the light source is not availably seen on the canvas.
STILL LIFE
Still Life with a Gilt Cup, Willem Claesz. Heda, 1635
oil on panel, h 88cm × w 113cm
Pict source: www.rijksmuseum.nl
The depiction presented by Baroque still life paintings is indeed not dramatic and theatrical in nature, but rather towards a grandeur static composition and state while still emphasising extreme realism also the contrast between light and dark. Enjoying this painting feels the same as seeing the exact and precise results of depth calculation in order to draw inanimate objects.
“A few yellow and ochre accents compliment this refined interplay of colours. Heda specialized in near monochromatic still lifes, so-called ‘tonal banquet pieces’.”
Not only about such crazy details, the wide range of grey tonalities and how Heda portrayed lights reflected on smooth, shiny surfaces of the cutlery or other objects astounds me. This is surely kind of still life painting I fancy the most.
THEATRICAL
oil on panel (new collection of Rijksmuseum Amsterdam)
The Massacre of the Innocents, Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem, 1590
oil on canvas, h 245cm × w 358cm
The Fall of Man, Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem, 1592
oil on canvas, h 273cm × w 220cm
Fishing for Souls, Adriaen Pietersz. van de Venne, 1614
oil on panel, h 98.5cm × w 187.8cm
Those old masters above are in no doubt brought up such dramatic effect that is splendor, by showing impressiveness of the realism-painting techniques. Typical works that are so Baroque with its characteristics happen all at once. Baroque-style theatrical paintings may not contain implicit meanings that can be very deep from each element like contemporary-style paintings, but the story behind them are as grand as they may seem outward. Some of the narratives were taken from the bible or depictions of the ecclesiastical and religious life at that time. From the paintings above, one very obvious characteristic is the mass movement followed with busy squiggly figures.
One of the stories that I found so intriguing comes from van de Venne’s painting. In the 17th century where the European series of Christian religious wars were taken the time and still waging - following the Protestant Reformation began in 1517 - the fact that the Protestant community was on his journey to defeat the prestige of the Catholic Church is clearly illustrated in the painting Fishing for Souls. If you look closely, the left side of the painting is the Protestants who began to get a lot of followers captured from the number of people painted and supported by the background where the sun shines brighter, the trees are full of leaves, also the portray of clearer skies.
The boats with people placed around the middle might have been indicating that the painter has kind of assumption where being a Protestant means having a brighter future.
JOHANNES VERMEER
The Milkmaid, Johannes Vermeer, c. 1660
oil on canvas, h 45.5cm × w 41cm
The magical effect provided by painting tiny dots of colour indicating spots where light is reflected over the surface of objects. Smallest and significant details portrayed on the still life while depicting the lady as a focal point in this sophisticated composition of a muted scene, Vermeer is seen to be so perfectionist through this piece which what might make The Milkmaid become so brilliant.
Other Vermeer's paintings that are no less intense which can be found as well at the Rijksmuseum are Woman Reading a Letter (c.1663), The Little Street (c.1658), and The Love Letter (c.1669-c.1670).
Comments