Tuesday, July 17, 2018

17th-century Paintings for Palace Decoration (Stockholm)

Adrian van Stalbemt
River Landscape with Peasants
before 1662
oil on copper
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

Henrik van Balen and workshop of Jan Brueghel the Elder
Bathsheba in the Bath receiving the Letter from King David
before 1632
oil on panel
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

"The iconographic history shows that Bathsheba was often seen as a woman of some wealth, proud of her appearance and grooming, and not averse to making a public display of her beauty.  Many images imply that she shares in David's guilt by her self-exposure, triggering his desire to possess her.  She is frequently shown with attendants, who are often tainted with the suspicion of acting as bawds to David's desires, a function sometimes made explicit by the non-biblical motif of the bearing of a letter of assignation." 

– Christopher Heppner, from the article Bathsheba Revisited, published in Blake: An Illustrated Quarterly (Winter 2002/2003)

Anonymous artist
Landscape with the Flight into Egypt
17th century
oil on canvas
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

Dirck van Delen
Distinguished Dinner-Company in an Interior
1631
oil on panel
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

"Compared to some of the other rooms within the house dining rooms have a relatively short history.  The term itself did not acquire its modern meaning until the second half of the 17th century and was not generally accepted until well into the 18th century.  Prior to this it was not usual to set aside a room solely for eating, even in wealthy homes.  In medieval hall houses the family ate their meals along with their servants in the great hall using trestle table and benches that could be cleared away to free the room for other uses.  . . .  From the 14th century, a greater desire for privacy emerged, and separate family rooms were created behind the screen of the great hall, two living rooms on the ground floor and a sleeping compartment above.  The family then ate in one of the living rooms, known as the parlour, but they continued to use portable furniture until the 16th century.  Wealthy households also required a large room for more ceremonial meals during the 16th century since entertaining large number of guests was regarded as an important sign of rank during this period.  Long dining tables were used, with  guests seated in a strict order according to their position within the social hierarchy and meals consisted of numerous courses and lasted anything up to five hours.  But by the 17th century society was becoming more exclusive.  It was no longer regarded as a mark of favour to be entertained in as large a company as possible, and dining was on a smaller and more intimate scale, although mealtimes themselves were still quite formal occasions and were subject to numerous conventions and rules.  This period also saw the development, particularly in England and Holland, of heavy pieces of furniture connected with dining that could not easily be moved from one room to another."  

Encyclopedia of Interior Design, edited by Joanna Banham (Routledge, 1997)

Bartholomeus van Bassen
Interior of a Baroque Church
1602
oil on panel
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

attributed to Cornelis de Vos
The Card Game
before 1651
oil on canvas
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

Frans Francken II and Cornelis de Vos
Interior called Rubens' Salon
before 1642
oil on panel
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

David Klöcker Ehrenstrahl
Figures of the Arts gathered round the bust of Queen Christina of Sweden depicted as Minerva
before 1698
oil on canvas
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

Adriaen van Ostade
Lawyer at his Desk
1664
oil on panel
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

Jan Davidsz de Heem
Flower Still-Life with Bowl of Fruit and Oysters
ca. 1665
oil on canvas
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

T. Filoque
Winter Landscape
1677
oil on canvas
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

Nicolaes Berchem
Milking-time
before 1683
oil on panel
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

Karel Dujardin
Peasant-Girl Milking Cow
1657
oil on canvas
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

Adam Pynacker
Herders and Livestock in a Pasture
ca. 1673
oil on canvas
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

"Dutch landscape painters' interest in livestock, and the prominence given to cattle, reflected the Dutch pride in their milk industry.  With time, the cow had become a symbol of Holland and its prosperity.  Any picture portraying cows not only reflected the 17th-century social and economic conditions, but also expressed the nation's patriotic feeling.  The inclusion of cows in paintings, coupled with the bucolic calm of nature, conveyed a message about the economic stability of Holland." 

– Magda Michalska, published in Daily Art Magazine (December 2017)