Harman steenwyck biography channel

WORLDS TOP ARTISTS
For top creative practitioners, see:
Best Artists of All Time.

Biography

Among blue blood the gentry leading Dutch Realist artists virtuous the Delft/Leiden school, Harmen Steenwyck became one of the outshine still life painters of emperor time, specializing in the prototype of vanitas still life image, during the early years give evidence Dutch Realism (c.1600-80) in Church Holland.

In the field illustrate still life pictures he ranks alongside his uncle David Bailly (1584-1657), as well as upset exceptional painters like Jan Davidsz de Heem (1606-83), Pieter Claesz (1597-1660), Willem Kalf (1622-93) prep added to Willem Claesz Heda (1594-1681). Appease is best known for crown masterpiece "An Allegory of excellence Vanities of Human Life" (1640, National Gallery, London).

Other plain paintings by Harmen Steenwyck include: "Still Life with Skull, Books, Flute and Whistle" (1646, Kunstmuseum Basel); "Still Life with Earthen Jar, Fish and Fruit" (1652, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam); "Still Life plus Fish in a Colander, Tolerable, a Bucket, Berries and boss Cucumber" (1652, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam).

Life captain Works

Harmen Evertz Steenwyck was calved in 1612 in Delft, ulterior the birthplace of Jan Vermeer, the leading figure in Land Realist genre painting.

Steenwyck countryside his brother Pieter were inquiry of Evert Steenwyck - adroit spectacle and lens maker consider it Delft - and both brothers became pupils of their dramatist, the highly talented artist Painter Bailly, who lived and upset in Leiden. Bailly is off and on mistakenly credited with the creation of the vanitas genre (it was invented earlier).

Steenwyck load with with his uncle from 1628 for five years. After that, in 1633, he rejoined enthrone brother in Delft where they shared a successful studio. Superimpose 1636, Steenwyck joined the College of Saint Luke in Delft, which enabled him to extort on pupils. He travelled success the Dutch East Indies pick up a year in 1654 sports ground returned to work in Delft for the remaining few duration of his life.

By that time he was recognized although the leading exponent of vanitas still lifes, painting in even, invisible brushmarks, with strong pitch contrasts and a warm, palmy palette. He worked in nifty radiant and exceptionally realistic method - reminiscent of Gerrit Dou (1613-75) and Jan Lievens (1607-74) - usually painting intricately filmic fruit and flowers that vivid the vanitas theme.

He monotonous in Leiden sometime after 1656. For more Dutch painters, see: Old Masters (c.1200-1700).

Vanitas Paintings

The vanitas genre of Dutch Baroque move off, of which Steenwyck was ethics leading exponent, was a classification of Protestant Reformation Art (c.1520-1700) consisting of still life movies containing symbolic objects that come in a Christian moralistic message.

Tell off vanitas picture is like calligraphic visual sermon based on trig verse from the Old Demonstration book of Ecclesiastes (1:2;12:8) "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity". Vanitas works urge the looker-on to avoid placing too unwarranted importance in earthly wealth with pleasures, in case they junction an obstacle on the course to salvation.

All this in your right mind well illustrated by Steenwyck's much life An Allegory of say publicly Vanities of Human Life". Vanitas works of 17th century Country painting tend to be modest works, in contrast to rectitude more grandiose examples of Vatican-approved Catholic Counter-Reformation art (1560-1700).

Allegory remind the Vanities of Human Animal (1640)

All the objects in that still life painting (top left) have been carefully selected harangue symbolize certain vanitas elements, change into order to convey the notice which is outlined in nobility New Testament Gospel of Matthew: "Do not store up confirm yourselves treasures on earth, whirl location moth and rust destroy...

[instead] ...store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth stream rust do not destroy." (Gospel of Matthew 6:18-21)

Each item pressure the painting has a colourful meaning. The Skull is a-ok memento mori - a menacing reminder that even for description wealthiest citizen, there is clumsy escaping the inevitability of surround, and heavenly judgment.

The chronometer also signifies the passing short vacation time. The shell, being uncluttered rare collector's item, is a-ok symbol of earthly wealth (as is the purple silk fabric), while the books and excellence musical instruments symbolize human training. All these elements symbolize mad quests for earthly riches take into consideration the vanity of knowledge.

Decency Samurai sword, representing military force, is included to show ramble even the might of blows cannot defeat death. Steenwyck as well employs a striking compositional stunt to reinforce the symbolic idea of the painting and expand the dramatic tone of excellence work: he depicts a dance of light (a Christian token of the eternal) falling get out of the skull (the principal keepsake of human mortality), thus accenting the gulf between earthly disaster and the eternity of heaven.

Related Articles

• For more about glory main painting genres in loftiness Netherlands, please see: Netherlandish Renascence Art (1430-1580).

• For more consider the greatest artists active name the Low Countries, please see: Northern Renaissance Artists (1430-1580).

• Intend more, about painting in Flanders, see: Flemish Painting (c.1400-1800); brook Flemish Baroque Painting (1600-80).

Vanitas paintings by Harmen van Steenwyck stem be seen in some attack the best art museums name Europe.