Paint it Black
Black is one of the most difficult colours to get right in painting. Many artists prefer to use Ivory Black, others swear by Mars Black. For some the deepest black is conveyed by mixing dark blues and reds together, creating …
17th Century
Bitesize Blog: Van der Helst
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 …
Dogs in Dutch Genre Painting
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 …
Bitesize Blog: Judith Leyster
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) …
A Study After Ter Borch
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 …
17th Century Dutch Dress
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 …
Let’s Take a Walk in a Dutch Landscape
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 …
Why Bother with the Old Masters
You know me, I love my art history. And I write and paint partly because I want to show you so you can love it too. But, I can hear you ask, why bother with the old masters? What’s the …
Two Painters, Two Portraits
Detail of Barholomeus van der Helst, Portrait of a Lady in Black Satin with a Fan, 1644. National Gallery LondonTwo paintings, by two different painters; they currently hang in the same room at the National Gallery in London. One was painted in …
The Miniaturist
If you are in the UK you might have watched the tv adaptation of The Miniaturist on the BBC on Boxing Day. It is a two-part series, based on the book of the same title by Jessie Burton. The Miniaturist …