17th Century Masters of Dutch Painting Essay

The churrigueresque Art Style Movement st frauded in the 17th century. This time period was characterized by complex art style which is stimulated by the urge to tap the different aflame states which is dramatically shown by appealing to the senses. The dominant characteristics of this period were grandeur, sensuous racyness, drama, vitality, execution, tension, emotional exuberance, and a tendency to speck distinctions ( Pioch, 2002, Baroque). The Dutch were one of those who perfected this particular style and they have generated some of the critically acclaimed Baroque masterpieces in art hi level.Jan Vermeer, Jan Steen and Gabriel Metsu were just three of the masters of Dutch image who have immensely contributed to the ripening of the arts in the Netherlands. Vermeers charwoman Holding A Balance, Steens The Drawing Lesson and Metsus schoolgirlish Woman Reading A Letter were some of the noted creations that have embodied the novelty of writing style Dutch paintings. T hese art pieces were immediately accepted by the public because they resembled an honest and materialist art that cotton uped art as an end in itself and not as a mere vehicle for emphasizing values from other realms of human thought. More so, these paintings foc utilise on a common theme which is the depiction of domestic effortless life wherein women where the central characters. The artists used this theme to emphasize that the homes were not merely structures but also the buns of morals in the society. In addition, the role of women in the paintings was intended to help bring serenity to the lookers in order for them to easily adapt to the overwhelming changes that were introduced in the 17th century (cited in Janson, 2008, The issuing Matter of Dutch Domestic Interiors).See more Analysis of Starbucks coffee company employees essayJan Vermeer was an discoverer who is known for his trademarks of crafty play with light and glossiness, inclusion of graphics with poetic qual ity and the exploration of spatial relationships. The camera obscura was the tool he used add a realness factor to his paintings (Pioch, 2002, Vermeer, Jan). In Woman Holding A Balance, Jan Vermeer illustrated a schoolgirlish woman holding a pair of empty deliberateness scales who was probably going to measure the mass of the valuable materials placed on the table.Moreover, other elements were also harmoniously integrated in the artwork such as the painting of the Last Judgment which signified a Christian biblical event the weighing scales which symbolized justice the light coming from the window suggested spiritual sagacity and the mirror in front of the woman represented conceitedness. All of these elements exemplified the significance of resisting temptation of material things and brisk moderately in order to obtain salvation (National Gallery of Art, 2008, Vermeer).Meanwhile, Jan Steen was branded as one of the more or less productive painters of the Dutch art scene. He was known for his versatility, richness of characterization, inventiveness in composition, skillful treatment of colors (Janson, 2008, Seven Dutch get the hang Jan Steen). The Drawing Lesson captured the scene of an art instructor teaching a young male and a beautiful young lady most likely about drawing. The art studio was filled with a variety of art paraphernalia that were strewn all over the place. There were nude person sculptures, paint brushes, easels and other art materials.Vanity was also represented through the presence of a bay wreath wreath, a skull, wine, a fur muff, a book, a lute, and a pipe to impart Steens inwardness that popularity and life are not permanent in the physical world. This uncomplicated normal scene is a symbolic representation of the lives of artists and the nature of their profession (J. Paul Getty Trust, The Drawing Lesson). Moreover, another Dutch painter who do a mark in the field of Baroque art was Gabriel Metsu who was also a son of a painter .He founded the Leiden painters guild where he learned to create genre scenes that showed the influences of Nicolaes Maes, Gerrit Terborch and the Delft school. More so, his technique evolved from the quite slackly painted Leiden works to the meticulous fjnschilder manner of his later Amsterdam years (Janson, 2008, Seven Dutch Masters Gabriel Metsu). In Metsus painting of Woman Reading a Letter, shows a woman indication a letter probably from a suitor or a male correspondence.Actually, this painting is a protraction of another Metsu painting called Man Writing a Letter and when these two pieces are interconnected, a grade of courtship between a man and a woman is established. Meanwhile, the wet nurses momentary movement contrasts with the concentration of the young woman who, one senses, will not move until she has finished reading the letter. have sex was also tending(p)ly symbolized in the painting which is in the form of the seascape painting mounted on the wall which pr obably was directed to represent the risks involved in having relationships (Web Gallery of Art, 1996, Metsu, Gabriel).In terms of esthetic qualities, the three paintings showcased a variety of distinct elements including color, light, texture, lines, and brushstrokes. In Woman Holding A Balance by Vermeer, the artist combined all aesthetic elements to produce one exquisite picture. Vermeer employed darker shades of color but accents of blue, yellow and white were visible to avoid monotony. More so, the light came from only source which was at the window that directly illuminated the serene face of the woman.Since this painting symbolically suggests living a equilibrise life, the compositional lines proportionally dissected the whole picture that emanated uniformity and a sense of space. The technique used by Vermeer for his brushstrokes was impasto wherein he densely put paint on the canvas to make strokes using a paintbrush finished by thin glazes. In addition, played with camera obscura to create a specular highlight as seen on the pearls on the table which were painted with two layers of color.Overall, these elements the dark colors, the orthogonal lines, impasto brushstrokes, the objects that surround the woman like the balance and painting of the Last Judgement , all reinforced the theme of spiritual reasonableness(National Gallery of Art, 2008, Vermeer). Many different objects and elements were incorporated in The Drawing Lesson by Steen. Every object has a corresponding meaning and significance. The colors of brown, pink, grey, blue and red were delicately subdued to seamlessly mesh the variety of objects in the picture.In addition the colors, lighting and the placement of the objects were very strategic that despite the many elements present, the painting did not look cluttered. More so, each object included in the painting suggested a symbolical meaning, the viewer just needs to look closely and try to comprehend the message of Steen. Typically St een gives a stratum of information about individual characters, but leaves the viewer to ponder the specific twists of the narrative, and to admire the artist for his clever allusions (Wiseman, Dutch and Flemish Art). The focal point of the painting was the teacher and his pretty young student.The delicate colors of pink and blue contrasted by the gold and dark red colors emphasized the young woman and her dress which suggested that she is aristocratic in nature. While the art teacher was depicted in an ordinary attire to show that he is a commoner trying to break into the exclusive circle of the rich by teaching their children how to make art. In the position of the artist, the young woman and the boy, it could be drawn that thither exist a special relationship between the teacher and his pupil and that the other student notices their cabalistic love affair. However, this interpretation was not confirmed by Steen. He wanted his artworks to insinuate different messages depending on the viewers perception. For Woman Reading a Letter Metsu wanted to tell a story of love, drama and anticipation. This painting was clearly the continuation of Metsus other painting called Man Writing a Letter. Compared to the two previous artworks, this one had been brightly illuminated and the dominant colors were of light shades and hues.At first glance, one may think that this is a sublime scenario but if one would look closely and analyze the objects that surround the woman, one can realize that this painting suggests otherwise. The tranquil face of the woman reading the letter is contradicted by the chaotic seascape painting on the wall. Also, the dropped shoe and the worried position of the maid support the theory that something bad might have happened to the man who sent the letter. Every aspect of this painting had been craftily incorporated to tell a provoking story.