#hendrick bloemaert

[oldsardens]

Hendrick Bloemaert - An Allegory of Winter

[libriaco]

Antimuffa

Molto […] preoccupante, per chi esige una presenza vitale della cultura classica nella scuola, è […] la proposta di eliminare lo studio delle lingue antiche, e, quindi, la lettura diretta dei testi, riducendo il contatto con l’antichità alla lettura di traduzioni, accompagnate da illustrazioni amene. Tale proposta non solo trova sostegno in ambienti ministeriali, ma incontra facilmente il consenso di quanti, anche fra le persone colte, vogliono allo stesso tempo una scuola più facile e più conforme alle meraviglie del progresso tecnologico, libera dalle muffe del passato.

A. La Penna, Sulla scuola [1999], Roma - Bari, Laterza, ebook, 2014

Immagine: Hendrick Bloemaert, Vecchio che legge (1636), olio su tela, Museo di Belle Arti, Budapest

[longlivebatart]

Ter Brugghen's Mars Asleep

Welcome to Long Live Bat Art, the podcast for art lovers who don’t see art as much as they want to. My name is Sydney and thank you for taking this slow tour through an art gallery with a casual art lover. Today, I’ll be talking about Mars Asleep by Hendrick ter Brugghen. I hope you enjoy. 

Hendrick ter Brugghen’s life is shrouded in mystery. He was born around 1588 in maybe Deventer in the Netherlands. Ter Brugghen studied under Abraham Bloemaert, who we will cover later this season, in Utrecht in the early 1590s. 

He may have met Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio in Rome in 1604 because when ter Brugghen came back to the Netherlands, art historians can see Caravaggio’s influence. So if he didn’t meet the man himself, he definitely came into contact with his work. He also might have met Peter Paul Rubens. Other Italian artists that influenced ter Brugghen were Annibale Carracci, Domenichino- whose real name was Domenico Zampieri but was mostly called by his nickname because of his short height- and Guido Reni, who were all Baroque artists. The technique of lighting called chiaroscuro is prevalent after this time. Chiaroscuro is a fancy term for lighting and shading. 

When ter Brugghen returned to Utrecht in late 1614, he worked with Gerard van Honthorst, who was a fellow Dutch follower of Caravaggio, known colloquially as the Dutch Caravaggisti. 

In 1616, ter Brugghen registered with Urecht’s St. Luke’s Guild, which was a painter’s guild. 

He painted Christ Crowned with Thorns in 1620 based on prints by Lucas van Leyden, who we will cover in a couple of episodes. It seems as though ter Brugghen used van Leyden’s work as a base because some of his countrymen saw him as being too Italianate in his work so ter Brugghen cleverly used an artist from his own country to temper these protests.

He and a few other Dutch painters- Thijman van Galen, Michiel van der Zande, Frans van Knibbergen, Dirck van Baburen, and Gerard van Hornthorst- seemed to have been cavorting around Italy around the same time. Ter Brugghen and van Baburen seemed to be close when they returned to Holland because van Baburen’s themes and style creeped in, especially in the early 1620s. 

Ter Brugghen died on November 1st, 1629, possibly because of the plague. 

The little we do know about ter Brugghen is mostly because of his son, Richard. Richard found a letter from Adriaen van der Werff, another painter, that read that van der Werff appreciated ter Brugghen’s work. Richard presented this letter and four paintings his father had done of the Evangelists to be hung in Deventer’s town square as a memorial to his father. On the memorial, it claims in Dutch that when Rubens traveled through the Netherlands and arrived in Utrecht around 1627 he said he saw only one artist whose work impressed him- ter Brugghen.

It’s mainly because of this letter and memorial that interest in his father was drummed up again and more art historians started looking into this artist. 

Now the painting.

A man is asleep, his head propped up on his hand and his elbow on a small circular table. His skin is pockmarked and rough, and he has a light brown beard and mustache. The mustache is short and the beard only extends slightly past his chin. He looks peaceful, for the Roman god of war.

He’s wearing polished metal armor- a breastplate, arm guards, and a helmet. The helmet has a large white feather along the entire top, anchored at the back and flowing towards the front. The fibers of the feather- they’re fine. They pick up the light, which is coming from directly overhead. It casts a shadow on the left side of Mars’s face. The helmet has rivets along the brim and a slim band going from the front of his forehead to the feather. There’s an oval design on the side facing the viewer of the painting. There are smaller designs in the oval, but they’re so fine I can’t see them. The helmet is slightly battered, but still retains its shine and decoration. The helmet casts a shadow along the top part of Mars’s face, right over his eyes. Very convenient for a nap. 

He has a tight coif under the helmet, protecting the sides of his head and his neck. It leads to the breastplate. It is made of two curved decorative pieces over the main body of the armor. The decorations on the front of the shoulders are curls, almost like ferns or more feathers. More towards the center of his chest are designs that look like the spade in a deck of cards. Now that I’m looking more closely, I think what I initially took as an oval on his helmet might be another spade.

Mars’s left arm is still holding his sword, though it’s lax in his lap. His arm armor is banded on the upper part of his arm, halfway up his bicep. At his elbow is another spade design. There’s a slim band of fine design going from his elbow to his wrist. The same design is on the underside of his other arm, straight down his chest, and from the midpoint of the curl design diagonally to meet the center design at the bottom of the armor. Again- so fine I can’t tell what it is. The armor is also battered, like it’s been struck multiple times by a ball peen hammer. Mars is wearing a red cloth around his lower half that’s gathered above his knees. The folds are realistic. They’re more draped than folded, actually. The clothing has a black stripe down the side, from the hip to the side of the knee. His knees and lower legs are exposed, though you can’t see much below his knees. The hilt of his sword has multiple curled metal arms wrapping around above the grip. 

At another second look, what I took for a table originally now looks more like a drum- there are wooden sticks near Mars’s elbow. Most likely a drum of war. 

Now for my thoughts.

The shine off Mars’s armor is incredible, as is the softness of the white feather. The detailing in the armor, I feel like I would have to practically press my nose against the painting to see what they are, but I doubt the museum would let me do that. The fact I had to look twice at both the drum I thought was a table and the detail on his helmet means that it’s worth it to examine art for a while. And not just art, either. If you can, I recommend looking at anything with a closer eye. First impressions aren’t always right, though you probably already know that. Never be afraid to admit when you’re wrong- it’s a skill everybody needs to practice. I’ve been guilty of doubling down on ideas I now regret. Digging my heels in stubbornly when four words and a contraction would have helped- ‘I’m sorry, I was wrong.’

Admitting fault in yourself is never simple or easy, but no one is perfect. Depending on your religion, your deity might not even be perfect. Romans certainly didn’t think their deities were perfect- they argued, they fought, they made mistakes. And they rarely admitted fault. So learn to do it, and you’ll be better for it.

I always liked Greek mythology more than Roman. That may just be because I was exposed to Greek first, so I’m biased. But Mars is an interesting god. He’s the god of war, yes. But also of death and the protector of the Caesars. 

His Greek equivalent, Ares- he’s less nuanced. Ares wasn’t worshiped as widely as Mars was because he was more or less seen as the hated brutality of war and conquest. Even his own parents weren’t particularly fond of him. But he had children by Aphrodite, goddess of love, who was married to Hephaestus, the god of fire and the forge. 

But I love Greek mythology because the gods were so, for lack of a better word, human. The people of the past didn’t always see their God or gods as untouchable, perfect figures. The Greeks and Romans especially saw their gods as just like them- they ate and played and argued and slept. Instead of the Judeo-Christian belief of humans being made in God’s image, the Greeks and Romans instead put their own habits and needs on the gods. I think that made the gods more approachable and made the people more relaxed about talking and praying to them. 

So this is the challenge for this episode- think of whatever deity or deities you believe in as a friend. Not an authority figure, not the Almighty. A friend. And if you don’t believe in any deity, try to personify whatever you hold dearest but might be a little afraid of. Maybe it’s science, maybe it’s math, maybe it could even be a person you really trust. But here’s a secret- in my experience, people aren’t ever as scary as they seem. Whether they’re a politician, a celebrity, or one of those people all over social media, there’s a lot more in common between you than you think. And for the religious people, try to remember that when you’re making the deity you believe in a friend. Make common interests- even if that common interest is yourself and your well being. Because if you find that common interest, you’ll find it a lot easier to relate to the person you’re pretending these ideals are. And once you do that, you might find it a bit more comforting when you believe in whatever you do. And I’ve always firmly believed that prayer should be comforting, as all aspects of religion should be. Not so much fire and brimstone, but the comfort that someone loves you dearly and truly wants what’s best for you. I think most people have forgotten that, and it’s something I think we should bring back. Comfort is something we could all use more of in our lives, and it’s the comfort we bring ourselves that can be the most powerful. 

If you liked this episode of Long Live Bat Art, please consider telling a friend and reviewing to help the podcast grow. A link to the transcript of this episode is available in the show notes below. And you can follow me on Twitter at Long Live Bat Art and tumblr at tumblr dot com forward slash Long Live Bat Art. That’s Long Live B-A-T Art. Thank you for listening to this episode, and I will see you in two weeks.

[justineportraits]

Hendrick Bloemaert    Diana and Callisto   1635-40

[ericfiori]

Old Woman Selling Eggs (1632), Hendrick Bloemaert

[galleryofunknowns]

Circle of Hendrick Bloemaert (b.1601 - d.1672), 'A Young Woman Warming Her Hands by a Brazier', oil on canvas, no date (1600s), Dutch, for sale for 3,600 EUR at Antichita San Felice; Pistoia, Italy.

[mysterious-secret-garden]

Hendrick Bloemaert - Perseus and Andromeda.

[lionofchaeronea]

A Toothless Little Satire

Martial, Epigrams 1.19 If memory serves, you once Had four teeth, Aelia; But then one cough dislodged two, Another cough, two more. Now you can cough without fear The whole day long, if you like: In your case, the third cough Has no more harm it can do. Si memini, fuerant tibi quattuor, Aelia, dentes:     expulit una duos tussis et una duos. Iam secura potes totis tussire diebus:     nil istic quod agat tertia tussis habet.

Old Woman Selling Eggs, Hendrick Bloemaert, 1632

[joostjongepier]

Wat?   De vogelaars en De hengelaars door Nicolaas Verkolje, Vismarkt door Joachim Beuckelaer, Vissersjongen die naar een moot zalm wijst door Hendrick Bloemaert, Het minneaanbod van Jan Steen en De haringverkoopster door Godefridus Schalcken

Waar?   Tentoonstelling ‘Beet! Vissen naar verborgen beteknissen’ in het Dordrechts Museum, Dordrecht

Wanneer?   8 september 2019

Als we tegenwoordig kijken naar een schilderij waarop vis wordt verkocht, dan zien we slechts een handelstafereel. Dat was in vroeger eeuwen wel anders. Toen had vis tal van verborgen betekenissen, variërend van religieuze tot seksuele symboliek. Bij het eerste kunnen we ons nog wel wat voorstellen. Het Ichthus-symbool voor Christus zien we ook nu nog weleens als sticker op een autobumper. En ook het verhaal van Jonas in de walvis zal menigeen nog wel bekend voorkomen. Maar weinig eenentwintigste-eeuwers zullen zalm of haring in verband brengen met de geslachtsdaad.

Kijken we naar ‘De vogelaars’ en ‘De hengelaars’ (1730-1746), twee schilderijen door Nicolaas Verkolje, dan zien we op het eerste oog twee onschuldig lijkende romantische tafereeltjes. Wanneer we echter weten dat in de achttiende eeuw de woorden ‘vissen’ en ‘vogelen’ synoniemen waren voor de geslachtsdaad, dan krijgen de werkjes een heel andere lading.

Een moot zalm was niet zomaar een stuk vis, maar stond symbool voor het vrouwelijk geslachtsorgaan. De handelaar op Joachim Beuckelaars ‘Vismarkt’ (ca. 1597) had dan ook wel iets anders op het oog dan alleen het slijten van zijn waar. Met zijn obscene gebaar trekt hij de aandacht van de jonge vrouw op de achtergrond. De oudere vrouw vooraan geeft met gekruiste handen aan dat zij niet geïnteresseerd is in het voorstel van de viskoopman.

Getuige zijn grijns, lijkt de knaap op Hendrick Bloemaerts doek ‘Vissersjongen die naar een moot zalm wijst’(1625-1630), op de hoogte te zijn van de verborgen betekenis van de moot zalm.

Zoals zalm stond voor het vrouwelijk geslachtsorgaan, was de haring eeuwenlang een fallussymbool. De man op Jan Steens ‘Het minneaanbod’ (1660-1669) biedt de jongedame dan ook niet alleen een haring met uitjes aan. De grijns van de oudere vrouw en het obscene gebaar van de man op de achtergrond, laten zien dat zij maar al te goed doorhebben wat er hier aan de hand is.

Het is niet altijd eenvoudig uit te maken of een scène al dan niet een dubbele bodem heeft. Biedt ‘De haringverkoopster’ (1675-1680) van Godefridus Schalcken haar vis als waar aan of zichzelf? Misschien  geldt ook hier: ‘It’s all in the (dirty) mind’.

[toanunnery]

Vertumnus and Pomona

Hendrick Bloemaert, 1647

[simena]

Hendrick Bloemaert - the four seasons

[foreverpraying]

On January 15 is the feast day of St. Paul the Hermit

St. Paul the Hermit S. Paulus primus Eremita, plate 3 in the first series in the book, Sylva Anachoretica Aegypti et Palaestinae by Boetius Adams Bolswert, Abraham Bloemaert, Hendrick Aerts

Life of St. Paul the Hermit

It is unclear what we really know of Paul’s life, how much is fable, how much is fact.

Paul was reportedly born in Egypt, where he was orphaned by age 15. He was also a learned and devout young man. During the persecution of Decius in Egypt in the year 250, Paul was forced to hide in the home of a friend. Fearing a brother-in-law would betray him, he fled in a cave in the desert. His plan was to return once the persecution ended, but the sweetness of solitude and heavenly contemplation convinced him to stay.

He went on to live in that cave for the next 90 years. A nearby spring gave him drink, a palm tree furnished him clothing and nourishment. After 21 years of solitude, a bird began bringing him half of a loaf of bread each day. Without knowing what was happening in the world, Paul prayed that the world would become a better place.

Saint Anthony of Egypt attests to his holy life and death. Tempted by the thought that no one had served God in the wilderness longer than he, Anthony was led by God to find Paul and acknowledge him as a man more perfect than himself. The raven that day brought a whole loaf of bread instead of the usual half. As Paul predicted, Anthony would return to bury his new friend.

Velazquez: St. Anthony and St. Paul, the Hermit

Thought to have been about 112 when he died, Paul is known as the “First Hermit.” His feast day is celebrated in the East; he is also commemorated in the Coptic and Armenian rites of the Mass.

Source: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-paul-the-hermit

[mrinalkantimajumder]

ABRAHAM BLOEMAERT 

On this day of 25th December, Abraham Bloemaert (25 December 1566 – 27 January 1651) was born in Gorinchem, Habsburg, The Netherlands.

He was a painter and printmaker in etching and engraving. He was initially working in the style of the "Haarlem Mannerists", but in the 16th century altered his style in line with the new Baroque style that was then developing. He mostly painted historical subjects and some landscapes. He was an important teacher, who trained most of the Utrecht Caravaggisti.

Abraham was a pupil of Gerrit Splinter (pupil of Frans Floris), Joos de Beer.  Jehan Bassot (possibly Jean Cousin the Younger) and then under a Maistre Herry.

Along with Joachim Wtewael and Paulus Moreelse, he was one of the founders of the Utrecht Guild of Saint Luke (St Lucas-gilde). Many of Bloemaert's paintings were commissioned by Utrecht's clandestine Catholic churches.

Among his many pupils were his four sons, Hendrick, Frederick, Cornelis, and Adriaan,  Jan Aerntsz de Hel, Abraham Jacobsz van Almeloveen, Cornelius de Beer, Nicolaes van Bercheyck, Jan van Bijlert, the two Boths, the two Honthorsts, Leonaert Bramer, Bartholomeus Breenbergh, Hendrick ter Brugghen, Jacob Gerritsz Cuyp, Willem van Drielenburg, Wybrand de Geest, Nicolaus Knüpfer, Hendrik Munnicks, Frederick Pithan, Cornelis van Poelenburch, Henrik Schook, Anthoni Ambrosius Schouten, Robert Jansz Splinter, Matthias Stom, Herman van Swanevelt, Dirck Voorst, Quintijnus de Waerdt, Jan Baptist Weenix, and Peter Petersz van Zanen.

Bloemaert is represented in the following collections: Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg; J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles;   Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City; Musée du Louvre, Paris; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Museum of Fine Arts of Nancy; Museum of Grenoble; National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; Royal Academy of Arts, London; University of Rochester, New York; Bob Jones University, Greenville, South Carolina; Centraal Museum, Utrecht, Netherlands; Museum de Fundatie, Zwolle, Netherlands; Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio; Courtauld Institute of Art, London; Harvard University Art Museums, Massachusetts: amongst others.

[rijksmuseum-art]

The Egg Seller by Hendrick Bloemaert, 1632, Museum of the Netherlands

De eierenkoopvrouw. Oude vrouw met een mand met eieren.

https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/nl/collectie/SK-C-106

[hzaidan]

05 Works, Today, February 18th, is Saint Alexis Falconieri's Day, With Footnotes - 48

05 Works, Today, February 18th, is Saint Alexis Falconieri’s Day, With Footnotes – 48

Enter a cFrancisco Herrera the Younger, (1622–1685) El papa San León I Magno/ Saint Leo Magnus (pope Leo I) (c.390-461) Oil on canvas Height: 164 cm (64.5 ″); Width: 105 cm (41.3 ″) Prado Museum, Madrid, Spainaption

Pope Leo I (c. 400 – 10 November 461), also known as Saint Leo the Great, was Bishop of Rome from 29 September 440 and died in 461. Pope Benedict XVI said that Leo’s papacy “…was…

[dead-molchun]

Hendrick Bloemaert (1601 - 1672) Democritus (95,5 x 74 cm)