Robert Peake the Elder (c. 1551–1619) was a fascinating painter who worked during the transition of Tudor (Elizabeth I) and Jacobean (James I) reigns. He was born in Lincolnshire in or around 1551 and was trained as a gold smith. …
This post was written by Emma Welsh from Invaluable, an online art auction site with a lively blog. I really enjoyed their art memes and thought I’d share them with you. Hope you get a chuckle out of them! Leonardo da …
Dress in 16th and 17th century portraiture was loaded with meaning. Elizabeth I’s portraits, which functioned as one of the most important means of propaganda for her reign as well as a treasure chest of symbolic imagery, are well-known. Her …
Click to enlargeBartholomeus van der Helst, Portrait of Abraham del Court and His Wife Maria de Kaersgieter, oil on canvas, 172cm x 146,5cm, 1654. Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, RotterdamBartholomeus van der HelstPortrait of Abraham del Court and His Wife Maria …
Dutch 17th century art is full of dogs. The highly popular (then and now) and numerous genre paintings feature our furry friends so often, they seem part of the furniture. Not only were dogs useful, loved and popular companions, they …
Judith Leyster, Self Portrait, oil on canvas, 74.6×65.1cm, c. 1630. National Gallery of Art, WashingtonJudith LeysterSelf PortraitOil on canvas, 74.6 x 65.1 cm, c. 1630 One of the most well known female painters from the Dutch Golden Age, Judith Leyster (1609-1660) …
Why do artists paint self portraits? Is it out of vanity or is there a deeper and more modest reason? Does it feel weird to paint your own self portrait? Self portraiture is a very old genre and remains popular …
Copying the Old Masters is as old a technique as the old masters themselves. For as long as artists have existed they learned from their masters or the works they left behind. It is a wonderful and fun way to …
If you look at early 17th century Dutch portraits, such as by Rembrand and Frans Hals you might be wondering what on earth these people are wearing. Those crazy ruffs are just the top of the iceberg and below there …
The Dutch 17th century is a famous period in the history of art because of its prolific production of art. It is not withouth reason that the century is called the ‘Golden Age’ as the small country lived through one …