phespirit.notes:   pictures

notes from a phespirit perspective

Phespirit on art: Proficiency, Imagination and Genius     Phespirit's favourite artists: Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio  (1571-1610) Gerrit Dou  (1613-1675) Johannes Vermeer  (1632-1675)

Proficiency, Imagination and Genius

There are proficient artists.
There are imaginative artists.
There are artistic geniuses.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio   (1571-1610)

Baby-Biography

Michelangelo Merisi was born in 1571, probably in Milan, 43kms to the west of the family's home town, Caravaggio - the name by which he came to be called. His father owned property in the town but worked in Milan as steward to Francesco I Sforza, the Marchese of Caravaggio. In 1576 the family fled back to Caravaggio to escape an outbreak of plague. The plague spread and his father died within a year.

In 1584, having returned to Milan, Michelangelo Merisi was apprenticed to to the painter Simone Peterzano. The appreticeship lasted for four years, after which he returned to Caravaggio for a further three years. With cash raised from his paternal inheritance he completed his artistic education with study trips to other cities in Lombardy and further afield, to Venice.

In 1590, after the death of his mother, he left for Rome where his only living uncle resided. He struggled during his first three years in the city, but by 1595 had begun to sell his paintings through a dealer and came to the attention of Cardinal Francesco del Monte. Through the cardinal he was commissioned to paint for the church of San Luigi dei Francesi. Here, in the Contarelli Chapel, he first fully expressed his realistic naturalism in three scenes from the life of St. Matthew. The style caused a public outcry.

Caravaggio's reputation increased and he began to be envied. Whilst in Rome he had many violent encounters and was imprisoned for several assaults. Caravaggio finally fled the city after killing an opponent over a disputed score in a game of court tennis. Moving between hiding places, he reached Naples in 1607. He continued to paint throughout, and his style became increasingly dark.

In 1608 Caravaggio relocated to Malta and was well received, yet he continued to live in fear of pursuit for two more years. In 1610, he received a pardon from the pope and arranged to return to Rome, but was wrongfully arrested and detained for two days. The boat loaded with all his belongings left without him. Caravaggio collapsed on the beach as he watched it depart and died a few days later.

Phespirit appreciates .....

..... darkness, shadows and blackening; a wrap of brilliant red; a reflection on metallic shoulder armour; the colour of skin; a timeworn face; an act of drama; a young woman with a sword, an old woman with a cloth; pause and meditation; a crucifixion; skill and exactitude; precision; realism; the breath of life.

Complete works of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio

Gerrit Dou   (1613-1675)

Baby-Biography

Gerrit Dou was born in Leiden, the Netherlands, in 1613, the son of a prosperous glass painter. In 1628 he was apprenticed to the 21-year-old Rembrandt. As Rembrandt's first pupil, he adopted his early, detailed style, with a great deal of attention for painting materials. After Rembrandt left in 1631 for Amsterdam, where he was to set out on a new course, Dou perfected this technique.

Dou grew to be the most highly lauded and best paid Dutch painter of his time. Sometimes the price he charged for a painting was enough to buy a sizeable house. The art-lover Pieter Spiering paid him 500 guilders a year to have first option on the paintings he produced. This meant that Dou had a secure income, and in consequence the liberty to develop new themes.

His fame extended far over the borders. The English King Charles II was so captivated by Dou's work that he offered him a position as court painter. However, Dou declined, and in fact remained at Leiden for the rest of his life. In 1665 Johan de Bye organised an exhibition in Leiden of 27 of Dou's works, for which he charged admission. No other artist of the time was honoured in this way during his lifetime.

Dou trained many pupils in his studio, including Frans van Mieris the Elder. When he died in 1675 he was a wealthy man and had a multitude of followers, very few of whom attained the level of their master.

Phespirit appreciates .....

..... the finesse of a line; details in the composition; the spark a flame; an astrologer's globe; a curtain; colours fading through impenetrable shadow; strangeness in allegory; countenances of ordinary people; contemplation; solitude; happiness on a balcony; faultlessness in miniture.

Johannes Vermeer   (1632-1675)

Baby-Biography

Johannes Vermeer was born in Delft, the Netherlands, in 1632. Nothing is known of his childhood and little information survives regarding his apprenticeship. One of his earliest known works depicts a scene from the bible, whilst another draws from classical mythology, both showing a strong Italian influence, although there is no evidence that Vermeer was ever in Italy.

Vermeer began to change direction and style from 1656, concentrating on contemporary interior scenes, with emphasis on light and perspective. Around 1660 he painted two Delft townscapes. From 1662 his work began to show refinement and a subtler portrayal of objects. Influenced by the work of Leiden artist Frans van Mieris, this approach was continued in three small paintings of women.

'The Allegory of Painting' - dating from 1666/1667 - formed the climax of the Vermeer oeuvre, flawlessly combining detailed reproduction and sublime representation of dimensions. After this painting Vermeer chose to simplify his works, introducing austerity in the backgrounds. During the last years of his life Vermeer depicted single central figures with, for example, a musical instrument.

Vermeer worked very slowly and was unable to complete more than two or three paintings a year as a result of his extremely painstaking method of painting. Vermeer worked mainly for local clients. About half of all Vermeer's known works were bought by the wealthy Pieter van Ruijven of Delft. Nonetheless, financial problems dogged Vermeer throughout his life and he died a poor man.

Phespirit appreciates .....

..... serenity and perfection; the fold in a map; the texture of a drape, a sleeve, a silk; a droplet of light; the perpective of a chequered floor; the grain of marble; meticulous detail; attention given to every drop of paint; a girl with a pearl earring; the invisible line of a nose; delicacy; intimacy.

Complete works of Johannes Vermeer