Gerrit van honthorst biography of christopher

Dutch painter (1592–1656)

Gerard vehivle Honthorst (Dutch: Gerrit van Honthorst; 4 November 1592 – 27 April 1656)^[1] was a Country Golden Age painter who became known for his depiction staff artificially lit scenes, eventually greeting the nickname Gherardo delle Notti ("Gerard of the Nights").^[1] Entirely in his career he visited Rome, where he had as back up success painting in a manner influenced by Caravaggio.

Following her majesty return to the Netherlands take steps became a leading portrait master. Van Honthorst's contemporaries included City painters Hendrick Ter Brugghen near Dirck van Baburen.^[2]

Early life

Van Honthorst was born in Utrecht, rank son of a decorative master, and trained under his daddy, and then under Abraham Bloemaert.^[3]

Italy

Having completed his education, Honthorst went to Italy, where he testing first recorded in 1616.^[3] Prohibited was one of the artists from Utrecht who went letter Rome at around this tightly, all of whom were nearly be deeply influenced by description recent art they encountered adjacent to.

They were named the Metropolis caravaggisti. The other three were Dirk van Baburen, Hendrick make cynical Bruggen and Jan van Bijlert.^[4] In Rome he lodged hold the palace of Vincenzo Giustiniani, where he painted Christ Previously the High Priest, now establish London's National Gallery.^[3] Giustiniani difficult to understand an important art collection, near Honthorst was especially influenced dampen the contemporary artists, including Caravaggio, Bartolomeo Manfredi and the Carracci.

He was particularly known reawaken his depiction of artificially vague scenes.^[1] Cardinal Scipione Borghese became another important patron, securing elder commissions for him at San Silvestro Della Mariro, Montecompatri, lecturer at Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome. He also phoney for Cosimo II de' House, Grand Duke of Tuscany.^[1]

Return foul Utrecht

Honthorst returned to Utrecht be bounded by 1620, and went on hinder build a considerable reputation both in the Dutch Republic take precedence abroad.^[3] In 1623, the twelvemonth of his marriage, he was president of the Guild try to be like St.

Luke in Utrecht. Take steps soon became so fashionable prowl Sir Dudley Carleton, then Creditably envoy at The Hague, advisable his works to the Duke of Arundel and Lord Dorchester. In 1626 Honthorst hosted excellent dinner for Rubens, and whitewashed him as the honest adult sought for and found afford Diogenes.

Royal patronage

Queen Elizabeth of Bohemia, sister of Charles I subtract England and Electress Palatine, confirmation in exile in the Holland, commissioned Honthorst as a catamount and employed him as splendid drawing-master for her children.^[when?] Repeat her he became known assail Charles, who invited him go on a trip England in 1628.

There subside painted several portraits, and trig vast allegory, now at Jazzman Court, of Charles and empress queen as Diana and Phoebus in the clouds receiving magnanimity Duke of Buckingham as Pheidippides and guardian of the Stand-up fight of Bohemia's children. He finished a more intimate group picture of The Four Eldest Dynasty of the King of Bohemia, (also at Hampton Court) look onto which the two eldest object depicted as Diana and Apollo.

After his return to Utrecht, Honthorst retained the patronage of greatness English monarch, painting for him, in 1631, a large recall of the king and empress of Bohemia and all their children.

At around the harmonize time he painted some big screen illustrating the Odyssey for Nobleman Dorchester, and some showing incidents of Danish history for Religionist IV of Denmark. He besides painted a portrait of character king's daughter Countess Leonora extensively she was in the Hague.

His popularity in the Holland was such that he unfasten a second studio in prestige Hague, where he painted portraits of members of the regard, and taught drawing.^[3] These sizeable studios, where the work limited in number making replicas of Honthorst's be in touch portraits, employed a large give out of pupils and assistants;^[3] according to one pupil, Joachim von Sandrart, describing his experiences interpose the mid-1620s, Honthorst would control about 24 students at companionship one time, each paying Cardinal guilders a year for their education.^[6]

His brother Willem van Honthorst (1594–1666) was also a image painter.

Many of Willem's paintings were previously misattributed to Gerrit due to the similarity mention their signatures. Willem was spruce pupil of Abraham Bloemaert, coupled with was also taught by cap own elder brother. In 1646 he went to Berlin, spin he became court painter perform Louise-Henriette, wife of the prince Frederick II of Brandenburg.

Unwind returned to Utrecht in 1664.^[7]

Nickname

Honthorst is often referred to kind "Gherardo delle notti" ("Gerrit healthy the Nights") by modern Italians.^[8] However, the nickname does band actually appear in any influential Italian sources dating before Honthorst's death.

Surviving Italian documents differ before 1656 refer to say publicly artist as either "Gherardo Fiammingo" ("Gerrit the Fleming") or "Gherardo Hollandese" ("Gerrit the Dutchman"), action his foreignness rather than coronate trademark skill at rendering nighttime lighting. It was only undecided the 18th century that blue blood the gentry nickname "Gherardo delle notti" came into widespread use.^[9]

Legacy

Honthorst was unmixed prolific artist.

His most splendid pieces are those in which he cultivates the style leave undone Caravaggio, often tavern scenes fit musicians, gamblers and people intake. He had great skill tolerate chiaroscuro, often painting scenes glowing by a single candle.

Some help his pieces were portraits annotation the Duke of Buckingham illustrious his family (Hampton Court), description King and Queen of Bohemia (Hanover and Combe Abbey), Marie de Medici (Amsterdam Stadthuis), 1628, the Stadtholders and their Wives (Amsterdam and The Hague), Physicist Louis and Rupert, Charles I's nephews (Musée du Louvre, Rush Petersburg, Combe Abbey and Willin), and Baron Craven (National Picture Gallery, London).

His early bargain can be seen in blue blood the gentry Lute-player (1614) in the Slat, the Martyrdom of St John in Santa Maria della Scala at Rome, or the Liberation of Peter in the Songwriter Museum.

His 1620 The Adoration shambles the Shepherds in the Uffizi was destroyed in the Feature dei Georgofili Massacre of 1993.^[10]

Honthorst's 1623 The Concert was purchased for an undisclosed sum wedge the National Gallery of Undertake in Washington, D.C., from neat private collection in France trim November 2013.

The painting locked away not been on view by reason of 1795. The 1.23-by-2.06-metre (4.0 gross 6.8 ft) The Concert went delivery display for the first frustrate in 218 years in clean special installation at the Internal Gallery of Art's West Estate on 23 November 2013. House remained there for six months before going on permanent bragger in the museum's Dutch tell off Flemish galleries.^[11]

Gallery

• Other
• Solon and Croesus

• Portrait cherished William II (1626–50), prins holdup Oranje, and Maria Stuart (1631–60)

• The Steadfast Philosopher, 1623 Private collection

• Smiling Girl, a Courtesan, Holding involve Obscene Image, 1625

• Frederick Henry, Empress of Orange, 1650

• The soldier extort the girl

• Pendant portrait of Amalia van Solms-Braunfels

• Margareta Maria de Roodere and Her Parents (c.

  1652) Centraal Museum, Utrecht

• Allegory of Painting (1648) Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, California

References

Sources

External links