Archives: Gmedia Posts

The artist Jan Steen is an all-rounder as a painter. He paints with ease a lively partying family with facial expression and emotions. As if we are looking at a cliffhanger of a humorous film or a play. In addition, he knows how to display the inside and outside world, as well as the many still life objects in all their finesse.

In the 17th century you could make a career if you were part of the local militia. The shooting club is the place to network. The main members had themselves portrayed as a group, not meant for private, but for the association building. Rembrandt painted a group portrait of gunners in an unprecedented way. The group is not depicted as usual, statically in a row like a football or soccer team. But as a theatrical group in action on stage. As if they step into our world, the world of the spectator.

The beautiful bare-shouldered lady is painted with soft transitions from light to dark. Her eyes fall into the shadow of the wide-brimmed hat. She symbolizes the summer season. Contrary to the strong light-dark aspect of painters like Rembrandt, there were also fine painters who worked more in subtle nuances of color.