16th and 17th century Dutch and Flemish Art

Madeleine Françoise Basseporte and Marie-Thérèse Reboul Vien, two artists whose lives intertwined over the course of the eighteenth century in Paris, experienced careers which present fascinating case studies for Enlightenment-era artistic lineage and training, professional obstacles for women, and the placement of women artists in the context of the rococo. Basseporte was a portraitist and botanical illustrator who became the French king’s official plant painter at the Jardin du Roi, while Reboul Vien was a painter of natural history subjects and a member of the prestigious Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture. This thesis investigates existing source material and scholarship on these two artists, from their own lifetimes to the present day, and raises new questions regarding the hidden facets of their careers, including the possibilities that Basseporte’s early biographers intentionally altered the factual narrative of her early life, and that Reboul Vien actively contributed to her husband’s practice as a key collaborator for many years after her own exhibition career had ended. The assumption that Basseporte was Reboul Vien’s artistic instructor has been adopted by historians in recent years, but the hypothesis, though compelling, remains unproven. Through comparative examination of Basseporte and Reboul Vien’s work and singular professional trajectories, this thesis critically analyzes the theory of their connection and crucially increases the depth and breadth of scholarship on this pair of artists.

in 'America en el centro. Circulación de imágenes en el mundo Ibérico,' Ciudad de México-Puebla (UNAM+Museo Amparo), 16-20 de octubre de 2023 [CIRIMA. Circulación de la imagen en la Geografía artística del mundo hispánico en la Edad Moderna]

L'historien néerlandais Bernhard Ridderbos, auteur de Schilderkunst in de Bourgondische Nederlanden (La peinture aux Pays-Bas bourguignon, Davidsfonds, Leuven, 2015), met en valeur l’œuvre d’Hugo Van Der Goes, un peintre remarquable qu’on a rangé un peu vite dans l’ombre de Van Eyck, Van der Weyden et Memling.

Probablement né vers 1440 à Gand, Van der Goes est reçu maître de la guilde des peintres de cette ville en 1467 et en devient le doyen en 1474. Trois ans plus tard, il est à l’apogée de la reconnaissance professionnelle et de la réussite sociale.

C’est alors qu’il abandonne la vie bourgeoise pour s’associer au grand mouvement de réforme appelé la Dévotion moderne. Pour ce faire, Van Der Goes devient frère lai auprès des Soeurs et Frères de la Vie commune, plus précisément ceux de l’abbaye du Rouge-Cloître (Rooklooster) dans la Forêt de Soignes près de Bruxelles. Il y jouit de certains privilèges, comme d’être autorisé à continuer à peindre.

In the years following his arrival in Italy, Rubens turned time and again to painting minimally draped male figures engaged in brute acts of physical laboring. Long associated with Rubens’s mature signature style, these ruddy figures play key supporting roles as porters, wrestlers, and blacksmiths in some of his best known commissions. This essay argues that Rubens’s
sustained painterly concerns with figuring male exertion almost certainly resided in his desire to fashion himself as an intellectually and manually working humanist painter of the highest order. Rubens first figured male exertion during his Italian period, drawing on classicizing ideas of labor grounded in Virgilian poetics (Georgics), classical sculpture studied in Rome
(e.g., the Farnese Hercules), and the philosophical privileging of the hard-working, Stoic wise man (vir bonus) in his Lipsian, Neostoic circle. Ultimately, these laboring figures are posited as metaphorical, historiated self-portraits by a humanist par excellence with the highest Neostoic ambitions for his art: material embodiments of an ever-heated intellect and a following, painting hand that worked hard to visually embody its workings.

La estancia de la corte real en Marchena se inscribe en el viaje que realizó ésta durante el mes de marzo de 1730 entre Sevilla y Granada, siendo la primera de las seis “paradas largas” que hizo en su itinerario intermedio hacia la Andalucía oriental. Gracias a lo publicado por la Gaceta de Madrid, contamos con algunas noticias sobre ella.

Pour Patinir et la Devotio Moderna, la contemplation est à l’opposé
même du pessimisme et de la passivité scolastique. Pour eux, le rire est l’antidote idéal pour éradiquer le désespoir, l’acedia (la lassitude) et la mélancolie. La contemplation y prend donc une nouvelle dimension.

Pour Patinir et la Devotio Moderna, la contemplation est à l’opposé
même du pessimisme et de la passivité scolastique. Pour eux, le rire est l’antidote idéal pour éradiquer le désespoir, l’acedia (la lassitude) et la mélancolie. La contemplation y prend donc une nouvelle dimension.

After a huge non-invasive diagnostic campaign performed on the corpus of Giovanni
Santi’s artworks, three paintings were selected and investigated: the Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian
panel, the Visitation altarpiece and the canvas with Tobias and the Archangel Raphael (c. 1487 and 1494).
Micro-invasive investigations including optical microscopy, ESEM-EDX, micro-Raman spectroscopy,
FTIR and FTIR-ATR spectroscopy and GC-MS were carried out on selected micro samples. The
results of the integrated analyses confirmed the use of a Renaissance palette with oil and, only in
a few cases, tempera techniques. Some significant peculiarities emerged in Santi’s practice, as he
used localized off-white priming and colorless powdered glass with a siccative oil—in red, flesh,
pinkish and green hues—confirming the influence of the Flemish painters in Urbino and, possibly,
also in western central Italy. This innovative technical expedient compared to the traditional Italian
painting technique was identified also in red and bluish samples collected from the Communion of the
Apostles panel painted by Justus of Ghent around 1473–1474 for Urbino Corpus Domini Confraternity.
The Flemish master was called to the court of Duke Federico to paint in oil and his presence at the
‘Urbino workshop’ probably contributed to the diffusion of this technique. Both in Giovanni Santi’s
paintings and the Communion of the Apostles, the glass particles are related to a soda-lime glass typical
of the Italian area, widely detected in Italian paintings from the late 15th and 16th centuries.

In this paper, the author presents textual evidence to demonstrate that the Night Watch is a fusion of ten Bible verses and the composition of the hidden giant is a genius reenactment of the prophecy of Isaiah in the Gospel of John: John 12:37 40 (NRSVue) 37 Although he had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfill the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah: "Lord, who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" 39 And so they could not believe, because Isaiah also said, 40 "He has blinded their eyes...

Tussen 1609 en 1625 verschenen in Leiden vijf boeken met gedrukte, in ovaal gevatte portretten van Leidse geleerden. Icones (1609), Illustris Academia (1613), Icones, elogia ac vitae (1617) en Athenae Batavae (1625) verschenen bij de Leidse uitgever Andries Clouck; de Leidse kunstenaar Willem van Swanenburg ontwierp 34 portretprenten en de titelpagina. In 1614 publiceerden Jacob Marcus en Joost van Colster een soortgelijke uitgave, Alma Academia, waarvan samensteller en kunstenaar niet bekend zijn. In dit onderzoek gaat het om achtergrond, context en doel van deze vijf boeken. In de renaissance werd ‘portrettencollecties van beroemde mannen’ nieuw leven ingeblazen. Gedrukte uitgaven daarvan zorgden voor een snelle verspreiding onder humanistische geleerden. In de Republiek ontstonden die aan het begin van de zeventiende eeuw tegen de achtergrond van de opkomst van stadsbeschrijvingen, waaraan Icones en vervolguitgaven nauw verwant aan zijn. In het propagandaprogramma van de Leidse u...

Deffinitive program of the International Conference that will take place at Aranjuez from 25th-27th October 2023

During the fifteenth century, the Dukes of Burgundy maintained numerous ties and staged frequent encounters with representatives of the Hispanic kingdoms across a range of cultural and political contexts. As a result a reciprocal cultural bond evolved between the court cultures of these two geographical areas. This initial phase of contact was enabled by the rise to power of Mary of Burgundy and Maximilian I of Habsburg in the Netherlands: it was stipulated that their heirs should marry those of the kings of Castile and Aragon. As a result, the marriage of Mary and Maximilian led to the emergence of a powerful composite monarchy during the second decade of the sixteenth century, one that comprised a set of distinct administrative and legal systems. It was overlaid with a coherent court ritual, combining aspects derived from both the Netherlands and Iberia, as well as the other territories that made up the Spanish Monarchy. As a result, throughout the sixteenth century the Low Countries became one of the principal cultural centres within this monarchy, and there were frequent cultural exchanges between the Netherlandish court—firstly in Mechelen, and then in Brussels—and the monarchy’s central court.
The aim of this conference is to analyse the cultural relationships between the evolved between Iberian and the Netherlandish courts during the late fifteenth century and on throughout the sixteenth century, in order to develop a deeper understanding of the diverse forms of cultural impact that resulted, and their consequences for interaction between these regions. By taking an interdisciplinary methodological focus, embracing the latest research by historians, art historians and architectural historians, this scholarly event seeks to engage with the recent academic debate and research on the social phenomenon of cultural reciprocity. For this purpose, the conference seeks to analyse issues related to ceremonial, ritual, court structures, diplomacy, the visual arts and social relations, and likewise offer a deeper understanding of the mechanics of court culture, and the deployment of visual culture to promote Habsburg universalism across a range of European territories.

Jan Six forms the subject of two of Rembrandt's most impressive portraits, both of which can be considered high points of his painted and etched oeuvre. The iconography as well as the exceptional execution of these works have stirred the imagination of contemporaries and generations of art historians alike, giving rise to much comment. 1 This interest has only been increased by the wealth of anecdotes that have evolved around the relationship between the affluent art lover and the artist; some stories are indeed based on documentary evidence, while others are mere legend. 2 Certainly, Jan Six's life is relatively well documented: a wealthy member of the regent class and eventually burgomaster of Amsterdam, he was a scholar with an interest in sculpture, painting and poetry as well. The prevailing tendency among art historians has been to interpret the portraits in the light of Jan Six's biography and other facts known about him. Recurring motifs, include Six's great love of art and scholarship as well as his special veneration of Baldassare Castiglione's book on the ideal courtier. On the basis of the same material, various authors have come up with quite different interpretations with regard to the intentions of both patron and artist. For instance, Six's occupation with scholarship and his pensive mood in both portraits has led Luba Freedman to suppose a preoccupation of both men with the notion of melancholy, a mental condition from which many artists and poets at the time affected to suffer. 3 David Smith views the portraits first and foremost as manifestations of the gentlemanly aspirations of both Rembrandt and Six, seeing a conflicting two-facedness of 'Janus' Six the private man and the persona he presented to the outside world. 4 Eddy de Jongh points out, on the other hand, that the fluid brushwork and unfinished aspect of the painting must have appealed to the personal taste of the art lover Six and the familiarity of both men with Castiglione's concept of sprezzatura.

In his Discourse on Light, Ibn Al-Haytam develops his theory of light propagation that remind us of the "Eyckian revolution". What follows is an edited transcript of a lecture by Karel Vereycken on the subject of "Perspective in XVth-century Flemish religious painting" delivered at the Paris Sorbonne University.

To glorify contemporary artist David Hockney's two years' investigation as
"a sensational d iscovery that became the subject of headlines, and media
attention and debate among prominent scientists, art h istorians, and museum directors worldwide" (as one promoter of this book did) is overdone. In Reality Great Art Requires More Than Optical Technology.

Two newly discovered accomplished paintings, in terms of their quality and size: the Death of Seneca and Apollo flaying Marsyas, two works by 'Wautier" that were lost since 1764, when they are recorded in the collection of the City of Brussels architect, Pierre de Doncker. Stylistically, Seneca is more comparable to works by Charles Wautier, whilst Apolo and Marsyas relates to the paintings of Michaelina Wautier, making it possible to identify each of the artists as authors of one and the other works. Inviting us to make comparisons as well as observe differences, that enable us to better understand their practice and approach, in an attempt to distinguish the oeuvre of the sibling painters whose vital and artistic fusion cannot be refuted, and undeniably remains a challenge for today’s scholars.

In her time, the amateur botanist and collector Agnes Block (1629–1704) became celebrated as Flora Batava — the goddess of flowers of the Batavians, mythical ancestors of the Dutch Republic. This reputation was carefully curated. This essay posits that Block’s successful self-fashioning as Flora Batava was due in part to her engagement with a network of artists. Membership in this network, together with her wealth and keen appreciation of art, contributed to her becoming one of the most important and influential patrons in a genre that fused art and science.

This paper investigates the Academia Aretiniana, a still unexplored group of literati and artists who gathered in Venice around the eclectic figure of Pietro Aretino (1492-1556). I argue that this pseudo-academy represents a critical network which aligned with the ideals of cultural restoration of the city from the 1530s. Through a close intellectual dialogue among the members, the group introduced fundamental innovations for both literature and visual arts, which informed art theory and kindled formal experimentation. This project, therefore, seeks to explore how this humanistic circle contributed to reshape artistic production in sixteenth-century Venice. By unpacking the theoretical discussion on the arts carried on by the group, as well as exploring how artistic practice fed into it, the project proposes an interdisciplinary approach to understand how the group elaborated a novel aesthetic vocabulary that permeated the creative processes of artists and writers. It is the aim of the project to answer the question as to the academic aspirations of this circle and how they eventually shaped the coeval artistic practice, paving the way for Venetian Mannerism. The presentation will address the topic by elaborating on its status quaestionis, the inherent limits of such research and the methodological approach.

Ce mémoire présente une analyse minutieuse de trois œuvres attribuées au peintre hollandais Jan Mostaert (ca. 1474 -1553), originaire de la ville d’Haarlem et actif durant la première moitié du XVIe siècle. Ces trois peintures, dont le Triptyque de la Passion, deux volets d’un retable, ainsi que le Portrait du Chevalier Abel van Coulster, sont conservées aux Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique (MRBAB). Si ces œuvres ont déjà fait l’objet de quelques publications, elles ne sont pourtant pas reprises, ni étudiées, dans les catalogues du musée sur la peinture flamande du XVe et du début du XVIe siècle étant donné l’origine hollandaise du peintre.

Rembrandt: 400 years old and still young! Even without any knowledge of the specific historical context, few are those that remain indifferent to his artistic message and skill. Why Rembrandt? What particular quality of his paintings, engravings and drawings gave him the power to reach over centuries of time? As we will document here, Rembrandt, a precocious intellectual, became already quite « universal » as a young adult. But let's try to find out what « universal » means.

The domestic interiors to which we are accustomed do not constitute eternal norms, instead resulting from complex evolutions of which an essential phase occurred in the Netherlands during the seventeenth century. There, new modes of dwelling shaped – and were shaped by – the distribution, decoration and furnishing of space. The emerging taste for domesticity was paralleled by an expanding appreciation for the representation of interiors and their inhabitants. These images come close to a representation of daily realities, yet retain a selective or reconstructed vision that requires detailed analysis. Beginning with a study of Dutch houses and paintings – and eventually extending to their eighteenth-century reinterpretations on a European scale – this seminar will investigate the pleasures, constraints and aesthetics that shape experiences of the domestic interior. Weekly topics, such as cleanliness, disorder, privacy, surveillance, and material culture, will allow us to uncover connexions between the work of celebrated painters (Vermeer, Chardin, Hogarth) and the daily realities of inhabited space.

Oil on canvas Oil on Canvas 6.75 X 8 inches 7.5 X 9.6 inches Addison Thompson Collection (NYC) Louvre Museum (Paris) The enormous hair bun of the known version is compared to the unrestored new version of Vermeer's Lacemaker. The known version has been stripped with caustic solvents and over painted, to cover-up the tribal art New Guinea Asmat skull, she is wearing.

6 schede su opere di Adam de Coster (3 opere della collezione Koelliker di Milano); Tiziano e bottega (la "Deposizione di Cristo nel sepolcro" della Pinacoteca Ambrosiana di Milano); Antoon Van Dyck (2 opere tra cui "Le quattro età dell'uomo" del Museo Civico di Vicenza): pp. 54-55, cat. 1; pp. 66-69, catt. 7-8; pp. 80-85, catt. 13-15