17th Century European Painting: Styles and Artists
17th Century European Painting
Painting Techniques and Themes
Artists continued to use fresco in vaults, domes, and walls, and oil on canvas became more widespread. The range of subjects expanded to include grotesque, ugly, and unpleasant aspects of life. Religious themes and portraits remained popular, alongside mythological scenes, historical events, landscapes, and still lifes.
Aesthetic Features
- Realism vs. beauty
- Expressiveness of figures in gestures and faces
- Movement and dynamism
- Contrasting illumination to create depth and volume
- Complex, decentralized, asymmetrical, and diagonal compositions
- Predominance of color and pattern over line
Italy
Rome was the main artistic center during the 16th century. In the 17th century, Venice also became a significant center for painting. Three major styles emerged:
- Tenebrism (1600-1650): Caravaggio
- Classicist Baroque (1600-1650): Carracci, Reni
- Decorative Baroque (1650-1750): Pozzo, Cortona, Tiepolo
Caravaggio, a key figure in Tenebrism, is known for his dramatic use of light, illuminating the main characters while leaving the rest in darkness, as seen in The Calling of St. Matthew.
Annibale Carracci, a prominent Classicist artist, painted the vault of the Farnese Gallery, inspired by the Sistine Chapel. His work aimed to extend the High Renaissance style, merging painting and sculpture in mythological compositions with a central perspective.
The Decorative Baroque style emerged in the 1640s and was primarily associated with vault decoration. It featured illusionistic techniques like foreshortening, simulated architecture, and golden lighting with an upward perspective. Pietro da Cortona and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo were major figures in this style.
Spain
Spanish painting in the 17th century was shaped by two factors: the dominance of religious themes and the Inquisition’s prohibition of nudity. This led to an emphasis on realism and a blend of Gothic, Baroque, and Classicist elements.
The evolution of Spanish painting can be divided into two periods:
- Tenebrism (1600-1650): Zurbarán, Sánchez Cotán
- Decorative Baroque (1650-1750): Murillo, Claudio Coello
Francisco de Zurbarán, a leading Tenebrist painter, belonged to the Seville school. His work, such as St. Hugh in the Refectory, features stark lighting that accentuates volumes, realistic details, and a focus on monastic subjects.
Juan Sánchez Cotán is known for his symbolic still lifes with external lighting and Tenebrist realism, as seen in Quince, Cabbage, Melon, and Cucumber.
Diego Velázquez evolved from a Tenebrist style to a more personal approach. His early work, like The Waterseller of Seville, features asymmetrical compositions and dramatic lighting. After becoming court painter to Philip IV, his style shifted due to the influence of Rubens and his travels to Italy. The Forge of Vulcan (1630) shows a brighter palette and vertical lines. The Surrender of Breda (1635) demonstrates a balanced composition and looser brushwork. Velázquez’s second trip to Italy led to works like The Rokeby Venus (1651), inspired by Venetian Baroque. Las Meninas (1656) is a masterpiece of group portraiture, featuring a self-portrait of Velázquez and the royal family.
Jusepe de Ribera, who worked in Naples, was influenced by Caravaggio’s Roman Tenebrism. His style evolved towards a more dramatic approach, as seen in The Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew (1630).
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, also of the Seville school, exemplified the Decorative Baroque style. His early work, like The Adoration of the Shepherds (1640-50), displays Tenebrist realism. Another notable painter of the Seville school was Juan de Valdés Leal, known for his moralizing works.
Flanders
In the 17th century, Flanders was under Spanish rule. Its society was dominated by the nobility and the Catholic Church. Economic prosperity led to a revival of the Flemish school, with a broader range of subjects.
Peter Paul Rubens synthesized the Flemish tradition with Italian painting. His later Decorative Baroque style is characterized by a vibrant palette, dynamic movement, and loose brushwork. Rubens’s influence was immense.
Anthony van Dyck developed his mature style in Italy and England, where he became court painter to Charles I in 1635. He excelled in courtly portraiture, emphasizing the king’s majesty, as seen in his portraits of Charles I.
Holland
Holland’s Protestant bourgeoisie rejected the luxury and ostentation of the Catholic Church. Puritanism and moral rigidity led to a rejection of religious and mythological subjects in art. Landscapes and portraits became prominent genres.
Rembrandt van Rijn is renowned for his group portraits and biblical scenes. The Night Watch (1642) depicts a militia company with dramatic lighting and a sense of action.
Frans Hals captured the spirit of Dutch society in his portraits, such as The Regents of the Old Men’s Almshouse (1664). His style features contrasting lighting and a focus on individual personalities.
Johannes Vermeer is known for his intimate genre scenes with simple compositions and a focus on light. The Love Letter (1669-70) exemplifies his mastery of light and detail.