Despite the developed specialization, the 17th century of Russian painting became the century of art, not handicraft forgery. Outstanding icon painters lived in Moscow. They were registered in the department of the Icon Chamber of the Icon Order.
Simvon Ushakov. Savior Not Made by Hands.
At the end of the 17th century, they began to work as masters of the Icon Shop of the Armory. At the beginning of the 17th century, Procopius Chirin achieved great success. Chirin was a native of Novgorod. His icons are made in soft colors, the figures are outlined along the contour with a golden border, whitewashed with the finest assist.
Another remarkable Russian painter of the 17th century was Nazariy Savin. Savin preferred figures of elongated proportions, narrow shoulders and long beards. In the 30s of the 17th century, Savin led a group of icon painters who wrote the deesis feast and prophetic rites for the iconostasis of the Church of the Deposition of the Robe of the Virgin and in the Moscow Kremlin.
Ivan 4 Vasilyevich the Terrible.
In the middle of the 17th century, great work was carried out to restore the ancient murals. The new wall painting of the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow, retained the scheme of the previous one, was completed in the shortest possible time. Ivan Panssein supervised the work. Artists under his leadership wrote 249 complex compositions, and 2066 faces.
In the 17th century of Russian painting, a special desire of artists stood out, the desire for a realistic depiction of a person. In Russia, such a phenomenon as secular painting begins to spread. Secular painters of the 17th century depicted kings, generals, and boyars. In the 17th century, in the culture of Russia, including in painting, a process of “secularization” took place. More and more secular motives penetrate the life of Russian society. Russia has embarked on a new path, on the threshold of a new era in its history.
In painting, the established traditions of writing have been preserved to a greater extent. The church council of 1667 strictly regulated the themes and images, the charter of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich demanded the same. Parsings were written from him:
Zealously condemned any deviations from the canons in the depiction of the holy ideologues of the Old Believers Avvakum.
The activities of the painters were led by the Armory of the Kremlin, which became in the 17th century. the artistic center of the country, where the best masters were attracted.
For 30 years, the painting business was headed by Simon Ushakov (1626-1686). A characteristic feature of his work was a close interest in the image of the human face. Under his hand, ascetic faces acquired living features. This is the icon "Savior not made by hands".
His other work is widely known - "Planting the Tree of the All-Russian State". Against the backdrop of the Cathedral of the Dormition, the figures of Ivan Kalita and Metropolitan Peter are placed, watering a large tree, on the branches of which medallions with portraits of princes and kings are fixed. On the left side of the picture is Alexei Mikhailovich, on the right - his wife with children. All images are portraits. Ushakov's brush also belongs to the "Trinity" icon, on which realistic details appear. Simon Ushakov had a great influence on the development of Russian painting.
A remarkable phenomenon in Russian art of the XVII century. became the school of Yaroslavl masters. Traditional church and biblical scenes on their frescoes are beginning to be depicted in the images of familiar Russian life. The miracles of the saints fade into the background before ordinary phenomena. Particularly characteristic is the composition "Harvest" in the church of Elijah the Prophet, as well as frescoes in the church of John the Baptist. Yaroslavl painters were also among the "pioneers" in the development of the landscape.
Another example of a secular genre that reflected an interest in the human personality was the spread of "parsun" writing - portrait images. If in the first half of the century "parsuns" were still performed in a purely icon-painting tradition (images of Ivan IV, M. Skopin-Shuisky),
then in the second they began to take on a more realistic character ("parsins" of the tsars Alexei Mikhailovich, Fyodor Alekseevich, the steward G.P. Godunov).
Mikhail Fedorovich, Tsar, the first of the Romanov dynasty.
Parsun of the last Rurikovich in the male line - the son of Ivan the Terrible.
Patriarch Nikon
Patriarch Nikon under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.
Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina, the second wife of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and another of her parsuna
Naryshkin.
Patriarch Nikon with the brethren of the Resurrection Monastery
Portrait of the steward I.I. Chemodanov. 1690s.
BG 
Evdokia Lopukhina - the bride of Peter Alekseevich
Portrait of the steward F.I. Verigin. 1690s.
Group portrait of the participants of the Russian embassy to England. 1662.
Marfa Vasilievna Sobakina
Wedekind Johann. Portrait of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich.
Holland. 17th century The country is experiencing unprecedented prosperity. The so-called "Golden Age". At the end of the 16th century, several provinces of the country achieved independence from Spain.
Now the Protestant Netherlands went their own way. And Catholic Flanders (now Belgium) under the wing of Spain - its own.
In independent Holland, almost no one needed religious painting. The Protestant Church did not approve of the luxury of decoration. But this circumstance "played into the hands" of secular painting.
Literally every inhabitant of the new country woke up love for this type of art. The Dutch wanted to see their own life in the pictures. And the artists willingly went to meet them.
Never before has the surrounding reality been depicted so much. Ordinary people, ordinary rooms and the most ordinary breakfast of a city dweller.
Realism flourished. Until the 20th century, it will be a worthy competitor to academism with its nymphs and Greek goddesses.
These artists are called "small" Dutch. Why? The paintings were small in size, because they were created for small houses. So, almost all paintings by Jan Vermeer are no more than half a meter high.
But I like the other version better. In the Netherlands in the 17th century, a great master, a “big” Dutchman, lived and worked. And all the others were "small" in comparison with him.
We are talking, of course, about Rembrandt. Let's start with him.
1. Rembrandt (1606-1669)
Rembrandt. Self-portrait at the age of 63. 1669 National Gallery of London Rembrandt had a chance to experience the widest range of emotions during his life. Therefore, in his early works there is so much fun and bravado. And so many complex feelings - in the later ones.
Here he is young and carefree in the painting “The Prodigal Son in the Tavern”. On her knees is Saskia's beloved wife. He is a popular artist. Orders are pouring in.
Rembrandt. The prodigal son in the tavern. 1635 Old Masters Gallery, Dresden But all this will disappear in some 10 years. Saskia will die of consumption. Popularity will disappear like smoke. A large house with a unique collection will be taken away for debts.
But the same Rembrandt will appear, which will remain for centuries. The naked feelings of the characters. Their most secret thoughts.
2. Frans Hals (1583-1666)
Frans Hals. Self-portrait. 1650 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Frans Hals is one of the greatest portrait painters of all time. Therefore, I would also rank him among the "big" Dutch.
In Holland at that time it was customary to commission group portraits. So there was a lot of similar works depicting people working together: shooters of the same guild, doctors of the same town, managing a nursing home.
In this genre, Hals stands out the most. After all, most of these portraits looked like a deck of cards. People sit at the table with the same expression on their faces and just look. Hals was different.
Look at his group portrait "Arrows of the Guild of St. George".
Frans Hals. Arrows of the Guild of St. George. 1627 Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem, Netherlands Here you will not find a single repetition in posture or facial expression. At the same time, there is no chaos here. There are many characters, but no one seems superfluous. Thanks to the surprisingly correct arrangement of figures.
Yes, and in a single portrait, Hals surpassed many artists. His models are natural. People from high society in his paintings are devoid of far-fetched grandeur, and models from the bottom do not look humiliated.
And his characters are very emotional: they smile, laugh, gesticulate. Like, for example, this "Gypsy" with a sly look.
Frans Hals. Gypsy. 1625-1630 Hals, like Rembrandt, ended his life in poverty. For the same reason. His realism went against the tastes of customers. Who wanted to embellish their appearance. Hals did not go for outright flattery, and thus signed his own sentence - "Oblivion".
3. Gerard Terborch (1617-1681)
Gerard Terborch. Self-portrait. 1668 Mauritshuis Royal Gallery, The Hague, Netherlands Terborch was a master of the domestic genre. Rich and not very burghers talk slowly, ladies read letters, and a procuress watches courtship. Two or three closely spaced figures.
It was this master who developed the canons of the domestic genre. Which will then be borrowed by Jan Vermeer, Pieter de Hooch and many other "small" Dutch.
Gerard Terborch. A glass of lemonade. 1660s. State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg A Glass of Lemonade is one of Terborch's famous works. It shows another advantage of the artist. Incredibly realistic image of the fabric of the dress.
Terborch also has unusual works. Which speaks of his desire to go beyond the requirements of customers.
His "Grinder" shows the life of the poorest inhabitants of Holland. We are used to seeing cozy courtyards and clean rooms in the pictures of the “small” Dutch. But Terborch dared to show unattractive Holland.
Gerard Terborch. Grinder. 1653-1655 Berlin State Museums As you understand, such works were not in demand. And they are a rare occurrence even in Terborch.
4. Jan Vermeer (1632-1675)
Jan Vermeer. Artist's workshop. 1666-1667 Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna What Jan Vermeer looked like is not known for certain. It is only obvious that in the painting "Artist's Workshop" he depicted himself. True from the back.
Therefore, it is surprising that a new fact from the life of the master has recently become known. It is associated with his masterpiece "Street of Delft".
Jan Vermeer. Delft street. 1657 Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam It turned out that Vermeer spent his childhood on this street. The house pictured belonged to his aunt. She raised her five children there. She may be sitting on the doorstep sewing while her two children are playing on the sidewalk. Vermeer himself lived in the house opposite.
But more often he depicted the interior of these houses and their inhabitants. It would seem that the plots of the paintings are very simple. Here is a pretty lady, a wealthy city dweller, checking the work of her scales.
Jan Vermeer. Woman with weights. 1662-1663 National Gallery of Art, Washington How did Vermeer stand out among thousands of other "small" Dutch?
He was an unsurpassed master of light. In the painting “Woman with Scales”, the light gently envelops the face of the heroine, fabrics and walls. Giving the image an unknown spirituality.
And the compositions of Vermeer's paintings are carefully verified. You will not find a single extra detail. It is enough to remove one of them, the picture will “crumble”, and the magic will go away.
All this was not easy for Vermeer. Such amazing quality required painstaking work. Only 2-3 paintings per year. As a result, the inability to feed the family. Vermeer also worked as an art dealer, selling works by other artists.
5. Pieter de Hooch (1629-1884)
Peter de Hooch. Self-portrait. 1648-1649 Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam Hoch is often compared to Vermeer. They worked at the same time, there was even a period in the same city. And in one genre - household. In Hoch, we also see one or two figures in cozy Dutch courtyards or rooms.
Open doors and windows make the space of his paintings multi-layered and entertaining. And the figures fit into this space very harmoniously. As, for example, in his painting "Servant with a girl in the yard."
Peter de Hooch. Maid with a girl in the yard. 1658 London National Gallery
Until the 20th century, Hoch was highly valued. But few people noticed the few works of his competitor Vermeer.
But in the 20th century, everything changed. Hoch's glory faded. However, it is difficult not to recognize his achievements in painting. Few people could combine the environment and people so competently.
Peter de Hooch. Card players in the sun room. 1658 Royal Art Collection, London Please note that in a modest house on the canvas "Card Players" there is a picture in an expensive frame.
This once again speaks of how popular painting was among ordinary Dutch. Pictures adorned every house: the house of a wealthy burgher, a modest city dweller, and even a peasant.
6. Jan Steen (1626-1679)
Jan Stan. Self-portrait with a lute. 1670s Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid Jan Steen is perhaps the most cheerful "small" Dutchman. But loving moralizing. He often depicted taverns or poor houses in which vice was found.
Its main characters are revelers and ladies of easy virtue. He wanted to entertain the viewer, but implicitly warn him against a vicious life.
Jan Stan. Chaos. 1663 Art History Museum, Vienna Stan also has quieter works. Like, for example, "Morning toilet". But here, too, the artist surprises the viewer with too frank details. There are traces of stocking gum, and not an empty chamber pot. And somehow it’s not at all the way the dog lies right on the pillow.
Jan Stan. Morning toilet. 1661-1665 Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam But despite all the frivolity, Stan's color schemes are very professional. In this he surpassed many of the "small Dutch". See how the red stocking goes perfectly with the blue jacket and bright beige rug.
7. Jacobs Van Ruysdael (1629-1882)
Portrait of Ruisdael. Lithograph from a 19th century book. Using the achievements of the Renaissance as a finished artistic system (linear and aerial perspective, chiaroscuro, close tonal color, study of nature). Deep development of individual structural elements of the system for the sake of expressiveness. Strength test of the system. Development of individual creative manners. Schools of great masters(students, imitators). Studying the works of the master, art monuments, understanding the principles of the art of the master, copying his works, creating his own works in the manner of the master, forming his own manner, dating back to the manner of the teacher. Art education acquires autonomy from the craft side of things. painting technique: dark ground, pasty underpainting - light and shade modeling of the form, prescribing - color solution, detailing the forms, glazing - applying thin transparent layers of paint to nuance the color, give the picture a general tone. Painting on canvas (previously dominated by wood).
Painters: Caravaggio (Italy) - interest in the depiction of nature, installation on the truth in art, "still life" figure compositions. Models of the common people, avoidance of idealization of images, down-to-earth interpretation of mythological and Christian subjects, accentuation of light and shade modeling of volumes (sculpture), neutral dark backgrounds, close coloring, laconism of compositions, static character, impasto underpainting, smooth painting of the upper layers of painting. Rembrandt (Holland) – light and shade modeling of forms, rendering of the atmosphere, impasto painting (open stroke), warm tonal color rich in nuances, emotional nuances of psychological states in portraits, religious and mythological images, unadorned nature, spiritual beauty of an ugly person. Velasquez (Spain) - unadorned nature, "still life" figure compositions, Dignity of the individual with external ugliness, subtle nuances of color rich in shades, pictorial manner, complex spatial (planned) compositions. Rubens (Flanders) - baroque style, pomp of forms, material generosity of the world, turbulent dynamics, diagonal construction of compositions, free painting style, coloristic richness, subtle nuances of color. Poussin (France) - the style of "classicism", clarity, balance, calmness and harmony of compositions, clarity of spatial constructions, orientation towards the aesthetics of antiquity, idealization of figures, rendering of local color with chiaroscuro elaboration, balance of color spots. El Greco (Spain) - going beyond the Renaissance artistic system, subjective vision of form, distortion of proportions, anatomy, vertically elongated figures, flattening of space, departure from objective chiaroscuro, shining light and color, free pictorial manner, heightened spiritual expression.
14. Styles in European art of the 17th - 19th centuries.
Style- the subordination of the artistic means of art to any formative idea; characterized by certain principles of shaping and a specific set of elements (motives). Reasons for changing styles: non-artistic - economics, politics, ideology; intraartistic - the logic of the development of art and artistic perception. In the 17th century in Europe, the styles of "baroque", "classicism" were formed. Their common source is the art of the Renaissance. Baroque- lush, luxurious style; the weighting of the masses, the growth of sensuality, the materiality of forms, the aesthetics of excess, the dynamics of compositions, tension. The key element is a curved line, an organic form. Causes of emergence: the development of capitalism, a new wealthy consumer of art, the Catholic revenge in the fight against the reformation, the satiety of the audience's emotions, the desire for more thrills from art. Sources of style: the work of Michelangelo, Veronese, Tintoretto. Architects: Bernini, Borromini (Italy, 17th century), Rastrelli (Russia, 18th century). Sculptors: Bernini (Italy, 17th century), Shubin (Russia, 18th century). Painters: Rubens, van Dyck, Snyders (Flanders, 17th century), Correggio (Italy, 17th century) Rococo- Late Baroque (18th century) - refinement of forms, decorativeism, elegance. The key element is the sink. Painting: Watteau, Fragonard (France), Hogarth (England), Rokotov, Levitsky (Russia).
Classicism- clarity, calmness, balance of forms, harmony of proportions, measure, statics, symmetry, adherence to the aesthetics of antiquity. The key element is a straight line, a geometric figure, an order. Causes of occurrence: absolutism (France, Spain), the viewer's craving for normativity, harmony, correctness in art (conservatism of tastes). Sources of style: antiquity, Renaissance (creativity of Bramante, Palladio, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael). Architecture: ensembles of the Louvre, Versailles (France, 17th - 18th centuries), buildings of architects Bazhenov, Kazakov (Russia, late 18th century). Painting: Poussin, Claude Lorrain (France, 17th century), Losenko (Russia, 18th century), Venetsianov, A. Ivanov (Russia, 19th century). Empire– late classicism, simplification, stereometry of forms, archeological citation of ancient inclusions. Architecture: Zakharov, Beauvais (Russia, first quarter of the 19th century). Classicism with varying relevance has survived to this day. Early 20th century - neoclassical, 30 - 50s. 20th century - totalitarian classicism (Germany, Russia), today - one of the trends in postmodernism. Eclecticism- an artistic direction in European art of the middle - the second half of the 19th century, consisting in the imitation of various historical and national styles (forococo, neo-gothic, pseudo-Russian style ...). Example: the building of the Historical Museum in Moscow (architect Sherwood). Modern- the style of the late 19th - early 20th centuries, based on the organic curvilinear stylization of forms. Example: Ryabushinsky's mansion in Moscow (architect Shekhtel).
The 18th century is a period in which colossal transformations took place in all spheres: political, social, public. Europe introduces new genres into Russian painting: landscape, historical, everyday life. The realistic direction of painting becomes predominant. A living person is a hero and bearer of the aesthetic ideals of that time.
The 18th century entered the history of art as the time of pictorial portraits. Everyone wanted to have their own portrait: from the queen to an ordinary official from the provinces.
European trends in Russian painting
Famous Russian artists of the 18th century were forced to follow Western fashion at the behest of Peter I, who wanted to Europeanize Russia. He attached great importance to the development of fine arts and even planned to build a specialized educational institution.
Russian artists of the 18th century mastered new techniques of European painting and depicted on their canvases not only kings, but also various boyars, merchants, patriarchs, who tried to keep up with fashion and often commissioned local artists to paint a portrait. At the same time, the artists of that time tried to enrich the portraits with household items, elements of the national costume, nature, and so on. Attention was focused on expensive furniture, large vases, luxurious clothes, interesting poses. The image of people of that time is perceived today as a poetic story by artists about their time.
And yet, the portraits of Russian artists of the 18th century differ from the portraits of invited foreign painters in a striking contrast. It is worth mentioning that artists from other countries were invited to train Russian artists.
Types of portraits
The beginning of the 18th century was marked by the appeal of portrait painters to semi-ceremonial and chamber views. Portraits of painters of the second half of the 18th century give rise to such types as front, semi-ceremonial, chamber, intimate.
The front one differs from others in the image of a person in full growth. Glitter of luxury - both in clothes and in household items.
A semi-front view is an image of a knee-length or waist-length model.
If a person is depicted on a neutral background up to the chest or waist, then this type of portrait is called chamber.
The intimate look of the portrait suggests an appeal to the inner world of the hero of the picture, while the background is ignored.
portrait images
Often, Russian artists of the 18th century were forced to embody the customer's idea of himself in a portrait image, but in no way a real image. It was important to take into account the public opinion about this or that person. Many art historians have long concluded that the main rule of that time was to depict a person not so much as he really was, or as he would like to be, but as he could be in his best reflection. That is, in the portraits of any person they tried to portray as an ideal.
First artists
Russian artists of the 18th century, whose list is generally small, are, in particular, I. N. Nikitin, A. P. Antropov, F. S. Rokotov, I. P. Argunov, V. L. Borovikovsky, D G. Levitsky.
Among the first painters of the 18th century are the names of Nikitin, Antropov, Argunov. The role of these first Russian artists of the 18th century was insignificant. It was reduced only to writing a huge number of royal images, portraits of Russian nobles. Russian artists of the 18th century - masters of portraits. Although often they simply helped foreign craftsmen paint the walls of a large number of palaces and make theatrical scenery.
The name of the painter Ivan Nikitich Nikitin can be found in the correspondence of Peter I with his wife. His brush belongs to the portrait of the king himself, Chancellor G. I. Golovin. There is nothing artificial in his portrait of the outdoor hetman. Appearance is not altered by a wig or court attire. The artist showed the hetman as he does in real life. It is in the truth of life that the main advantage of Nikitin's portraits lies.
Antropov's work is preserved in the images of St. Andrew's Cathedral in Kyiv and portraits in the Synod. These works are distinguished by the artist's penchant for yellow, olive colors, because he is a painter who studied with the master of icon painting. Among his famous works are portraits of Elizabeth Petrovna, Peter I, Princess Trubetskoy, Ataman F. Krasnoshchekov. Antropov's work combined the traditions of original Russian painting of the 17th century and the canons of the fine arts of the Petrine era.
Ivan Petrovich Argunov is a famous serf portrait painter of Count Sheremetyev. His portraits are graceful, the poses of the people depicted by him are free and mobile, everything in his work is precise and simple. He is the creator of a chamber portrait, which will later become intimate. Significant works of the artist: the Sheremetyevs, P. B. Sheremetyev in childhood.
You should not think that at that time no other genres existed in Russia, but the great Russian artists of the 18th century created the most significant works in the portrait genre.
The pinnacle of the 18th century was the work of Rokotov, Levitsky and Borovikovsky. The person in the portraits of artists is worthy of admiration, attention and respect. Humanity of feelings is a hallmark of their portraits.
Fyodor Stepanovich Rokotov (1735-1808)
Almost nothing is known about Fyodor Stepanovich Rokotov, an 18th-century Russian artist from the serfs of Prince I. Repnin. This artist writes portraits of women softly and airily. Inner beauty is felt by Rokotov, and he finds the means to embody it on canvas. Even the oval shape of the portraits only emphasizes the fragile and elegant appearance of women.
The main genre of his work is a half-dress portrait. Among his works are portraits of Grigory Orlov and Peter III, Princess Yusupova and Prince Pavel Petrovich.
Dmitry Grigorievich Levitsky (1735-1822)
The famous Russian artist of the 18th century, Dmitry Grigoryevich Levitsky, a student of A. Antropov, was able to sensitively capture and recreate the mental states and characteristics of people in his paintings. Depicting the rich, he remains truthful and unbiased, his portraits exclude obsequiousness and lies. His brush owns a whole gallery of portraits of great people of the 18th century. It is in the ceremonial portrait that Levitsky reveals himself as a master. He finds expressive poses, gestures, showing noble nobles. Russian history in faces - this is how Levitsky's work is often called.
Paintings belonging to the artist's brush: portraits of M. A. Lvova, E. I. Nelidova, N. I. Novikov, the Mitrofanovs.
Vladimir Lukich Borovikovsky (1757-1825)
Russian artists of the 18th and 19th centuries are distinguished by their appeal to the so-called sentimental portrait. The artist Vladimir Lukich Borovikovsky paints pensive girls, who are depicted in his portraits with light colors, they are airy and innocent. His heroines are not only Russian peasant women in traditional dress, but also respected ladies of high society. These are portraits of Naryshkina, Lopukhina, Princess Suvorova, Arsenyeva. The pictures are somewhat similar, but it is impossible to forget them. is distinguished by the amazing subtlety of the transmitted characters, the almost elusive features of emotional experiences and the feeling of tenderness that unites all the images. In his works, Borovikovsky reveals all the beauty of a woman of that time.
The legacy of Borovikovsky is very diverse and extensive. There are in his work both ceremonial portraits, as well as miniature and intimate canvases. Among the works of Borovikovsky, the most famous were the portraits of V. A. Zhukovsky, G. R. Derzhavin, A. B. Kurakin and Paul I.
Paintings by Russian artists
Paintings of the 18th century by Russian artists are written with love for a person, his inner world and respect for moral virtues. The style of each artist, on the one hand, is very individual, on the other hand, it has several common features with others. This moment determined the very style that emphasizes the character of Russian art in the 18th century.
Most 18th century Russian artists:
- "Young Painter" Second half of the 1760s The author Ivan Firsov is the most enigmatic artist of the 18th century. The painting depicts a boy in a uniform who paints a portrait of a little beautiful girl.
- “Farewell of Hector to Andromache”, 1773 Author Anton Pavlovich Losenko. The last painting of the artist. It depicts a scene from the sixth canto of Homer's Iliad.
- "Stone bridge in Gatchina near Connetable Square", 1799-1801. Author Semyon Fedorovich Shchedrin. The picture shows a landscape view.
And still
Russian artists of the 18th century still tried to reveal the truth and the true characters of people, despite the conditions of serfdom and the wishes of wealthy customers. The portrait genre in the 18th century embodied the specific features of the Russian people.
Undoubtedly, it can be said that, no matter how much the art of the 18th century was influenced by European culture, it nevertheless led to the development of national Russian traditions.
Details Category: Fine arts and architecture of the late 16th-18th centuries Published on 06.02.2017 15:37 Views: 2498In our article we will talk about two artists: Jan van Goyene and Jacob van Ruisdale.
They both lived in the era of the liberation of Holland from a foreign yoke, and this was the Golden Age of Dutch painting. It was in the art of Holland that the following genres began to develop: portrait, landscape, everyday genre, still life. This was not observed then even in the outstanding centers of art - in Italy or France. The art of Holland in the 17th century. became a peculiar phenomenon in the artistic world of Europe in the 17th century. The Dutch masters paved the way for the artists of other national European art schools.
Jan van Goyen (1596-1656)
Terborch "Portrait of van Goyen" (c. 1560)
Jan van Goyen is one of the first artists to depict nature naturally, simply, without embellishment. He is the creator of the national Dutch landscape. The nature of his country gave him enough subjects for his whole life.
Jan van Goyen was born in 1596 in Leiden to a shoemaker's family.
Although Jan van Goyen spent some time in Paris in his youth, love for a simple landscape was unknown in France, so it is hardly worth talking about any influence of representatives of French painting on his work.
In his own country, he had several painting teachers, but only in the studio of Isaiah van de Velde did he spend a year, and he communicated even less with the rest of the mentors.
Jan van Goyen "Landscape with Dunes" (1630-1635). Kunsthistorisches Museum (Vienna)
Creation
At first, Goyen painted Dutch villages or surroundings with their vegetation, then coastal views began to predominate in his paintings, where most of the paintings were occupied by sky and water.
Jan van Goyen "View of the River" (1655). Mauritshuis (The Hague)
Trees, huts or city buildings play a secondary role in his paintings, but have a very picturesque appearance, as well as small sailing and rowing ships with figures of fishermen, helmsmen and passengers.
Goyen's paintings are predominantly monotonous. The artist loved the simplicity of color, but at the same time his colors are harmonious. He applied paint with a light layer.
Jan van Goyen View of the Merwede near Dordrecht (c. 1645). Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam)
The late works of the artist are distinguished by an almost monochrome palette, and the translucent ground gives them a special depth and unique charm.
Jan van Goyen Landscape with Two Oaks (1641). Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam)
His paintings are pleasant precisely for their simplicity and realism. The artist created quite a lot of art canvases, but his work was not always rewarded in a worthy way. Therefore, Goyen had to earn extra money in other ways: he traded tulips, was engaged in the evaluation and sale of works of art, real estate, and land. But attempts at entrepreneurship usually did not lead to success.
Jan van Goyen "Winter Scene on Ice"
Now his work is appreciated, and any museum considers his paintings valuable exhibits.
Several paintings by Jan van Goyen are also in the Hermitage: “View of the river. Meuse, near Dortrecht", "Scheveningen coast, near The Hague", "Winter landscape", "View of the river. Meuse", "Rural View", "Landscape with Oak", etc.
Jan van Goyen "Landscape with Oak"
In addition to painting, Goyen was engaged in etching (a type of engraving on metal) and drawing.
In 1632, Goyen moved with his family to The Hague, where he lived until the end of his life - until 1656.
Jacob van Ruisdael (1628/1629-1682)
Jacob Isaacs van Ruisdael was born and died in Haarlem (Netherlands). There are no exact portraits of him. This portrait is only speculative.
Currently, Ruisdael is considered the most important Dutch landscape painter, but during his lifetime his talent was not appreciated in due measure. His teacher could be his own uncle - the artist Solomon van Ruysdael.
Ruisdael was also a practicing surgeon based in Amsterdam.
Creation
The artist skillfully conveyed human emotions through the landscape. And for him, any component of the landscape was important: a tree branch bent by a gust of wind, a crushed blade of grass, a thundercloud, a trodden path ... And all these components were harmoniously combined in his paintings into a single NATURE.
He wrote in small strokes. He liked to paint forest thickets, swamps, waterfalls, small Dutch towns or villages, and above all this - a triumphant sky. Ruisdael's landscapes are understandable to any person of any nationality, because they express a common unity with nature for all people.
Ruisdael created about 450 paintings. Other sources give the number as 600. Most of his landscapes are dedicated to the nature of his native Netherlands, but he also painted the oak forests of Germany and the waterfalls of Norway.
