Going Dutch…
aspects of 17th century art in Holland
From 1558 the Netherlands, led by William of Orange, were engaged in a war against their Spanish overlords. For eighty years the protestant northern provinces attempted to rid themselves of their Catholic Hapsburg rulers. The tension was resolved in 1648, when the Treaty of Munster was signed and the United Provinces of Holland became an independent Calvinist Republic with members of the House of Orange heading a group of Regents in each of the seven provinces.
Even before the Peace was signed, Holland was forging a very distinct identity in shipping, trade, science and the arts. The country was the spearhead of thought in Europe and the longestlasting expression was in the visual arts, especially in painting. Centres of artistic creativity developed throughout the country and there was a ready market for paintings of every kind and every subject. This burgeoning market showed a new confidence, a pride and a joy in a revitalized nation.
This course examines the artistic activity of the country’s main cities, a myriad of artists, and their lasting reputation.
Lecture 1
The Historical Background
Lavenham Village Hall on Wednesday 25th October at 11am
Ipswich Institute on Monday, 23 October at 2.30pm
Friends’ Meeting House, Great Bardfield on Tuesday, 24 October at 10.30 am
Friends’ Meeting House, Saffron Walden on Tuesday, 24 October at 2.30pm
Church Hall, Aldeburgh on Friday, 27 October at 10.45am
The seventeenth-century in Holland was a turbulent time with military conflicts and political indecision. Dutch Calvinism was opposed to the rule of the Spanish Hapsburgs and the seven provinces finally gained independence in 1648. The ensuing celebrations resulted in an energetic creativity. Never has so much artistic activity been produced in so short a time.
Lecture 2
Mannerism in Utrecht
Lavenham Village Hall on Monday, 30 October at 11am
Ipswich Institute on Monday, 30 October at 2.30pm
Friends’ Meeting House, Great Bardfield on Tuesday, 31 October at 10.30 am
Friends’ Meeting House, Saffron Walden on Tuesday, 31 October at 2.30pm
Church Hall, Aldeburgh on Friday, 3 November at 10.45am
Hendrick Goltzius and Abraham Bloemart based their work on international styles of mannerism, and the work of Terbruggen and van Baburen show the strong influence of Caravaggio’s work, though the work of each artist shows a development towards a distinctly Dutch style of painting.
Lecture 3
Haarlem I: Portraiture
Lavenham Village Hall on Monday, 6 November at 11am
Ipswich Institute on Monday, 6 November at 2.30pm
Friends’ Meeting House, Great Bardfield on Tuesday, 7 November at 10.30 am
Friends’ Meeting House, Saffron Walden on Tuesday, 7 November at 2.30pm
Church Hall, Aldeburgh on Friday, 10 November at 10.45am
Frans Hals transformed the formal portrait into a style which showed an increasing degree of animation and humanity. Other painters gravitated to the city; Salomon van Ruisdael and his nephew Jacob van Ruisdael painted romantic landscapes.
Lecture 4
Haarlem II: Townscapes, still-life, figure subjects
Lavenham Village Hall on Monday, 20 November at 11am
Ipswich Institute on Monday, 20 November at 2.30pm
Friends’ Meeting House, Great Bardfield on Tuesday, 21 November at 10.30 am
Friends’ Meeting House, Saffron Walden on Tuesday, 21 November at 2.30pm
Church Hall, Aldeburgh on Friday, 24 November at 10.45am
Pieter Sandraedam painted exquisite church interiors; townscapes were the subject adopted by Job and Gerrit Berckheyde. Adriaen Brower painted bawdy scenes and Isaac van Ostade examined domestic cottage interiors.
Lecture 5
Official Art in The Hague
Lavenham Village Hall on Monday, 27 November at 11am
Ipswich Institute on Monday, 27 November at 2.30pm
Friends’ Meeting House, Great Bardfield on Tuesday, 28 November at 10.30 am
Friends’ Meeting House, Saffron Walden on Tuesday, 28 November at 2.30pm
Church Hall, Aldeburgh on Friday, 1 December at 10.45am
Being the seat of government the artistic activity in the city was often associated with the court and the needs of the nescient Republic. Portraiture prevailed but there was variety with the landscape painter Jan van Goyen.
Lecture 6
Leiden, the birthplace of Rembrandt
Lavenham Village Hall on Monday, 5 December at 11am
Ipswich Institute on Monday, 4 December at 2.30pm
Friends’ Meeting House, Great Bardfield on Tuesday, 5 December at 10.30 am
Friends’ Meeting House, Saffron Walden on Tuesday, 5 December at 2.30pm
Church Hall, Aldeburgh on Friday, 8 December at 10.45am
Born in the city in 1606, Rembrandt remained there until he moved to Amsterdam in 1631. Jan Lievens was his mentor during this early period and their work complements each other.
Lecture 7
Rembrandt’s legacy in Leiden
Lavenham Village Hall on Monday, 22 January at 11am
Ipswich Institute on Monday, 22 January at 2.30pm
Friends’ Meeting House, Great Bardfield on Tuesday, 23 January at 10.30 am
Friends’ Meeting House, Saffron Walden on Tuesday, 23 January at 2.30pm
Church Hall, Aldeburgh on Friday, 26 January at 10.45am
Jan Steen, a Jewish artist, painted witty domestic scenes, and scenes from the Old Testament for Jewish clients. Gerrit Dou was the leader of the ‘fine’ painters, using a miniaturist’s technique. Dou taught Frans van Mieris who continued this tradition.
Lecture 8
Amsterdam: Centre of History Painting
Lavenham Village Hall on Monday, 29 January at 11am
Ipswich Institute on Monday, 29 January at 2.30pm
Friends’ Meeting House, Great Bardfield on Tuesday, 30 January at 10.30 am
Friends’ Meeting House, Saffron Walden on Tuesday, 30 January at 2.30pm
Church Hall, Aldeburgh on Friday, 2 February at 10.45am
Early in the century Pieter Lastman was working in the city, Hendrik Avercamp was painting winter landscapes and Hercules Seghers was painting extensive views of the countryside. As the century progressed artists gravitated towards the capital and portraiture and landscape became more important.
Lecture 9
Amsterdam: Rembrandt’s adopted city
Lavenham Village Hall on Monday, 5 February at 11am
Ipswich Institute on Monday, 5 February at 2.30pm
Friends’ Meeting House, Great Bardfield on Tuesday, 6 February at 10.30 am
Friends’ Meeting House, Saffron Walden on Tuesday, 6 February at 2.30pm
Church Hall, Aldeburgh on Friday, 9 February at 10.45am
The variety of Rembrandt’s work as a draughtsman, an etcher and a painter blossomed after his move to Amsterdam. His work has been the subject of unequalled scrutiny in the 350 years since his death.
Lecture 10
Landscapes of Dordrecht
Lavenham Village Hall on Monday, 19 February at 11am
Ipswich Institute on Monday, 19 February at 2.30pm
Friends’ Meeting House, Great Bardfield on Tuesday, 20 February at 10.30 am
Friends’ Meeting House, Saffron Walden on Tuesday, 20 February at 2.30pm
Church Hall, Aldeburgh on Friday, 23 February at 10.45am
The art of Aelbert Cuyp dominated the artistic activity of the city and the trompe l’oeil of Samuel van Hoogstraten’s work provided an interesting antidote.
Lecture 11
Delft: city of giants
Lavenham Village Hall on Monday, 26 February at 11am
Ipswich Institute on Monday, 26 February at 2.30pm
Friends’ Meeting House, Great Bardfield on Tuesday, 27 February at 10.30 am
Friends’ Meeting House, Saffron Walden on Tuesday, 27 February at 2.30pm
Church Hall, Aldeburgh on Friday, 1 March at 10.45am
Carel Fabritius, a pupil of Rembrandt, worked in the city until his violent death in 1754. Pieter de Hooch and Jan Vermeer are better known for their brilliantly observed domestic scenes.
Lecture 12
Eastern Holland
Lavenham Village Hall on Monday, 4 March at 11am
Ipswich Institute on Monday, 4 March at 2.30pm
Friends’ Meeting House, Great Bardfield on Tuesday, 5 March at 10.30 am
Friends’ Meeting House, Saffron Walden on Tuesday, 5 March at 2.30pm
Church Hall, Aldeburgh on Friday, 8 March at 10.45am
The enigmatic paintings of Jacobus Vrel and Adriean Coorte have only been fully appreciated in the past seventy years. Gerrit Ter Borch was born in Zwolle in the north east of the country and after travelling extensively throughout Europe he settled in Deventer, a few miles away from his birthplace.