Page 50 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2016 - Amsterdam

48 ❯❯ The Top 10 of Everything

Dutch Artists

Jan van Scorel
1
After prolonged stays in
Germany, Venice and Rome, where
he studied the works of Giorgione,
Michelangelo and Raphael, Jan van
Scorel (1495–1562) returned to
Utrecht in 1524. He introduced the
techniques of the Renaissance to the
Northern Netherlands; his portraits
fuse Italian solidity of form with
Netherlandish delicacy.
Rembrandt van Rijn
2
The greatest artist of the
Dutch Golden Age (see p19).
David Joris by Jan van Scorel
Jacob van Ruisdael
3 gained some recognition in Holland
Born in Haarlem, Jacob van
Ruisdael (1629–1682), though not during his lifetime, but his
highly regarded in his own day, has importance was not established until
come to be seen as one of the finest the late 19th century, and rests on
landscape and seascape painters of fewer than 40 known works – mainly
the Dutch school. His works are domestic interiors with figures – that
filled with restless skies and are extraordinary in their handling of
naturalistic details. Even calm space, light and colour. He was
scenes such as The Windmill at Wijk married with 11 children. On his
bij Duurstede (1670) have a dramatic death, his wife was declared
sense of grandeur. bankrupt, and his baker kept two of
his paintings against unpaid bills.
Johannes Vermeer
4 Frans Hals
Relatively little is known about
the life of this sublime Delft artist 5
Much loved for his technique
(1632–1675), who inherited his of capturing character and fleeting
father’s art-dealing business and expression in his sitters, Frans Hals
painted purely for pleasure. He (1580–1666) brought a new realism
to portraiture in
the 17th century.
His fine group
portraits of civic
guards are
displayed in the
Frans Hals
Museum in
Haarlem.
Vincent
6
Van Gogh
A troubled genius
(1853–1890) who
left a vast body of
work, despite his
tragically short life
Marriage Portrait by Frans Hals (see pp20–23).

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