Category: Art

  • The Dutch Golden Age Comes to an End

    The Dutch Golden Age Comes to an End

    This week’s talk by Jennifer on the Golden Age of Dutch Art saw the 12-week programme come to an end. The talk began with some more ‘interiors’ that were left over from the previous week, including an intriguing interior painted in 1988 by Paula Rego and entitled “The Family”. The member introducing this painting told…

  • In u3a Art, Free Choice Works Well

    In u3a Art, Free Choice Works Well

    This week’s talk by Jennifer on the Golden Age of Dutch Art concentrated on a selection of works brought to the session by the members of the u3a. The only constraint was that the painting should show an interior scene. There was no constraint of country, style or period, and that led to a very…

  • Still Life in 17th Century Dutch Art

    Still Life in 17th Century Dutch Art

    This week’s talk by Jennifer on the Golden Age of Dutch Art concentrated on the development of Still Life or “Stilleven” paintings. We started with a quick recap of where we had got to in our 12 week programme, and a brief announcement of what remains to be covered – including pictures from the audience…

  • Italian Influence on Dutch 17thC Art

    Italian Influence on Dutch 17thC Art

    Our course on Dutch Art from the Golden Age continued with an examination of the influence the Italian Artists of the 17th Century had on the artists working in the Netherlands. Perhaps the clearest influence to the beginner’s eye is the use of Chiaroscuro (literally light-dark) – a technique exploited in Italy by Caravaggio. Jennifer,…

  • Tronjies and Merry Company

    Tronjies and Merry Company

    This week’s talk by Jennifer on the Golden Age of Dutch Art concentrated on the development of Group Portraits, the depiction of Merriness in bars, in places of work and in the home. Many of the portraits led to involvement and discussion, including the famous individuals pictured, like Pickled Herring, the Lute Player, the Merry…

  • The Portraits of Rembrandt and Hals

    The Portraits of Rembrandt and Hals

    This week’s talk by Jennifer on the Golden Age of Dutch Art concentrated on the works of Rembrandt and Frans Hals. Rembrandt is accredited with produce more than 300 paintings in his life time from 1606 to 1669, but more than 40 of them are self portraits. In addition there are many etchings and drawings,…

  • The People in 17th Century Dutch Art

    The People in 17th Century Dutch Art

    As with last week, this week’s examination of the Golden Age of Dutch Art, with Jennifer, had moved indoors to examine how the home, and the people in it are portrayed. But the emphasis this week was on the people – in particular the women, how they dressed (and why) and what happened in the…

  • Homes in 17th Century Dutch Art

    Homes in 17th Century Dutch Art

    This week our examination of the Golden Age of Dutch Art moved indoors to examine how the home, and the people in it are portrayed. We saw the works of Johannes Vermeer, Nicolaes Maes, Pieter de Hooch and Caspar Netscher. With our guide Jennifer, however, these paintings of homes, and the people in the homes,…

  • Dutch Townscapes in Art

    Dutch Townscapes in Art

    Having covered Seascapes and Landscapes over the last couple of weeks, focus moved this week to the Townscape. A packed audience heard our resident expert Jennifer talk about the works of Vermeer, De Witte, Berckheyde, Saenreden, Van der Heyden, Fabritius and Dou. We learned that Vermeer has only 35 paintings to his name of which…

  • Dutch Landscapes in Art

    Dutch Landscapes in Art

    Our course on the Dutch Golden Age of Art continued on Friday 20 January 2023 with a look at Dutch Landscapes. Those that have visited the Netherlands will know that there are limitations to landscape subjects in the country, but that has not limited their artists, some of whom travelled to Germany and Italy to…