Showing posts with label Netherlands walks and museums. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Netherlands walks and museums. Show all posts

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Understanding Van Gogh

VAN GOGH MUSEUM z
Sunday March 27
Photography was forbidden so I had to take notes. So this will be of no interest to anyone else but me.

Van Gogh - Influences
Leon Lhermitte
'Haymaking' 1887
Well drafted group of figures in a sweeping S composition. Following 3 generations. very good 3D and loose brushstrokes.

Jean-Francis Millet of the Barbizon school

Dupe - landscapes

Antonio Mauve. 1838-88
'Woodcutters'
(Note: Very similar to a Tom Roberts painting )
Theodule Ribot 1823-91
'A kitchen boy' (also similar to the Tom Roberts painting
'Gold panning').
Jules Breton of the Barbizon school.
'Young peasant girl with a hoe'
A very nice composition - the diagonal of the hoe - the face - the bare foot.

At this point there was an announcement that an English language free guide was to start for the "Picasso in Paris" special exhibition. I was there in a flash.

I knew this Picasso exhibition was on and I was keen to do it. In my study of Picasso in Barcelona I learnt that he was a very good representational portrait painter and it was his time in Paris that moved him towards abstraction. This special exhibition followed his development. It was very instructional.

At the end I had a chat to the guide and she was of the opinion that Picasso should have stopped his move to the abstract earlier. In other words he went too far. Interesting eh! A painting Picasso did called 'De Moulin de la Galette' (remember Renoir!) Was the time he should have stopped and consolidated his move towards abstraction.

Again, back in Barcelona, Joan Miro refused all invitations to join the Spanish abstractionist group as he believed very strongly that a link to representation was necessary to have strong and powerful meaning in a painting.

Back to VG's time at Nuenen
'Head of a woman with head hanging down' 1885
'Head of an old woman's 1885
'Portrait of an old man' 1885
Very good! Clear brush stoke colour & tone, strong statement .
'The potato eaters' 1885
'Head of an old woman' 1885

PARIS 1886-7
'Square at St Pierre'
Influenced by Serat's pointalism.

ARLES 1888-9
'The pink orchard' 1888
'Sunflower'
'The harvest' very nice!
'A pair of leather shoes'

ST REMI 1889
'The garden of St Paul's hospital'
VG copied the paintings of Millet.
After Millet:
'Shearing sheep' (After Millet 'The sheep shearer')
'peasant woman binding sheaves'
'The night' 1889

AUVERS 1890
'Undergrowth' 1889
'Landscape at twilight'
Very subtle colours & dramatic lighting with NO shadows.

LEVEL 1 - MONTMARTRE
Posters, menus & small publications.
Toulouse-Laurel
Steinler
Henry Riviere
George Auroi
Edourard Vuillard
Pierre Bonnard

DAUBIGNY & MONET
Daubigny is of the Barbizon school.
Monet
'View of Prince Hendrickbade Amsterdam'
Painted in one short session on a canvas prepared with the background blue colour.

Daubigny
'Sunset near Villenelle' 2 paintings.

LEVEL 2 - WATERCOLOURS
Louis Anquetin
'Conversation time'
Toulouse-Lautrec
Steinlon
Maris Denis 1870-1945
George Lemmen 1865-1945

PREDECESSORS & CONTEMPORARIES
Anton Mauve
'Self portrait'
Jean Millet. 1847-9
'Study of the head its bearded man'
'Le depart pour le travail' 1850-1
'Woman carding wool' 1855

SYMBOLISME
Emile Bernard
Maurice Davis
'Two sisters' 1891

THE YELLOW HUT
Vittorio Matteo Coreos
'Contemplation' 1889
Face is very good, background & chair lighting good as compositional support.

Emile Bernard
'Boy sitting on grass'
'Grandmother'
View of pont Aven'

Gauguin 1888
'Portrait of van Gogh'
Camille Pissario
Manet
Monet
Cezanne
Renoir
'Young woman sitting in a garden'
Sisley
Pierre Bonnard
Van Gogh
'The Zouoaf' (De Zowave)

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Rijkmuseum Saturday March 26

Saturday March 26
Got up early and headed straight to the RIJKSMUSEUM. Walked passed the other 2 museums on the way. It will be very important to get to the Van Gogh museum early on Sunday as the lines are long.

The first thing that you notice in Amsterdam is the huge number of cyclists. When I cross the road I first have to check the cycle track both directions, then I have to check for cars on the left, then there are the tram tracks to check in both directions. Then there are cars again,this time on the right. Finally there are the bikes again, both directions of course. Now you're safely on the other foot path. Make sure you keep to the right ok and don't stray onto the bike track!


The Rijkmuseum is also a history museum and there was very interesting displays on the Dutch East India company. The Asian influence in woodwork and the Chinese influence in the development of the dutch pottery industry.

The enormous wealth sucked out of their Asian colonies funded all this opulence.

Each 'suburb' of Amsterdam were separate states and each had its own militia. When I went the the painting section these militias would pay artist to paint huge paintings of them all. Each individual paying the artist to be included in the large painting.

I was not allowed to take photos in the gallery do I took notes.

Hendrick Overcame 1609
'Winter landscape with shadows'
Gerald von Hontmorst 1623
'The Merry Fiddler'
(inspired by Caravagio)

Ferdinand van Dyck
'Still life with cheese'
textures with lighting.

Willem Claesz Heda
'Still life with gilded goblet' 1635
Textures and lightin - glass.

Frsnz Hals 1632
'Portrait of a man Nick Haaelar'
Loose style -
'Wedding portrait of Isaac Abrahamsz' 1622
interesting.

Compare Hals to Varsponck 1644.
'Portrait of van Adrian Cross'
Precise details

Room 8 Early Rembrandt
'Jeremia'
Use of scraching off paint for edges of cloth and hair - lighting & strong contrast.
'Self portrait' 1628
tone, scratched hair mood.
'Portrait of van Maria Trip'
Transparent lace and skin colour. Pearls & shadows, gold thread.
Much of this painting would have been done by students as of is not in Rembrandt's loose style.
'self Portraits' 1633
College, thick paint without detail. Hands.
Very subtle tones in black cloth & cuffs to define sleaves.
detail in eyes, particularly the red dots in the lower lids.

Rembrandt vs Lievens
R was influenced by Hercules Seagar's landscapes
R
"The store bridge" 1638
Landscape good light & textures

R vs Bar. van der Helst.

Red colouring was made from crushed lice in South America. Lice live in cactus and 1 hectare can produce 3-400 liquid base. The Indigo plant produced the colours black & dark blue.

Helst 1642
"Portrait of Gerard Becker".
Use of charcoal and the lacework.

Plus Morcelse 1630
"A shepherdess"
Cloth edges, lips & expression.

Aert van der Neer
"River view by moonlight"
Wonderful lighting & shadows on the road with horse & cart.
ROOM 9
Jacob van Ruisdael
"Landscape with waterfall"
Highlight on turbulent water distant light under the trees in the hillside.
Philips Konich
"Distant view with cottage lining road"
Loose painting style achieving reflection & tone.
R
"Isaac & Rebecca" 1645
The best!
A very loose painting with large 'globes' of yellow highlighting the brocade gold sleeve. The form of the hand & reflected colour. This painting has been damaged & has been changed. The man's hat was painted on in 1930? Part of the background are missing as it was a larger format.
R
"Titus van Ruin" (son)
Face & fabric.

Geldon (R's pupil)
"King David"
Shows R's loose style.

R
"Amsterdam drapes guild"
3D table & book.

Jan van de Capelle
"The home fleet salutes the state barg"
Reflection tone & clouds

Jan Davidsz de Heen
"Festoon of fruit & flowers"

Ferdinand Bols 1669
"Self portrait"
ROOM 10 VERMEER.
Steen - many very good.

Peter van de Hooch
"Woman with chili in pantry"
Lighting of view through door and low window. Portrait of after looking on scene.

Vermeer
"Kitchen maid"
Reflected light.
"The little street"
3D distance - camera obcurera used

Gerald Don
"Painter with lips & book"
"Night school"
Lighting & candle.

ROOM 11 STEEN
Willem van de Velte II
Ship scenery.

ROOM 12
"Nightwatch"
Loose style, 3D forearm & hand. Thumbs & hands.
left side of painting cut off!

Friday, March 25, 2011

Den Haag art galleries

Saturday March 26
Got up early and headed straight to the RIJKSMUSEUM. Walked passed the other 2 museums on the way. It will be very important to get to the Van Gogh museum early on Sunday as the lines are long.

The Rijkmuseum is also a history museum and there was very interesting displays on the Dutch East India company. The Asian influence in woodwork and the Chinese influence in the development of the dutch pottery industry.