Dutch Boys

"The Lacemaker"
Oil on Canvas, 90.6 x 8.3 inches
Johannes Vermeer

Exciting news for those who love the Dutch masters: a major new exhibition has opened in Paris and is coming to Washington, D.C. this fall. It is titled "Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting: Inspiration and Rivalry", and it shows how Vermeer and his Dutch contemporaries influenced each other. In the words of one reviewer, they "riffed off of", "cribbed from", and even "copied" each other.

"The Milkmaid"
Oil on Canvas
Johannes Vermeer, c. 1660

As a painter, I love to see how one painter influences another. The relationships among these Dutch painters of the 17th century has been described as a "dynamic rivalry". Some suggest that they spurred each other on to greater heights in their artistry. I always think
about the tennis analogy--if you want to improve your game, play against somebody who is better than you!

"Woman with a Pearl Necklace"
Oil on Canvas, 21 5/8 x 17 3/4 inches
Johannes Vermeer, c. 1662-65

The paintings in the Paris exhibit are grouped by subject. In fact, one aspect of the relationship among these artists is that they all painted the same subjects--people doing chores, writing letters, playing music, gazing in mirrors. This is the very definition of "genre painting": namely, the depiction of ordinary people engaged in ordinary daily activities. The people in these paintings range from lowly household maids to sophisticated ladies in jewels and silken robes. Regardless of their station in life, all of them radiate humanity, as tangible today as three hundred years ago.

"Woman Reading a Letter" (detail)
Oil on Canvas,
Gerard ter Borch, c. 1660

Most reviewers agree that the Vermeer paintings are the show-stealers, revealing a mastery and a mystery that transcends ordinary genre painting. But Gerard ter Borch (above)  is a favorite of mine, and his work will be represented as well. His career began before Vermeer's, but the two overlapped. Some say that his influence on Vermeer is evident. And there will also be some breathtaking interiors from the Golden Age in Holland. Much to savor!

"The Slippers"
Oil on Canvas
Samuel van Hoogstraten, c. 1658

Good news for those of us in the US: the exhibit will open at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. on October 22, 2017, and run through January 1, 2018. I hope it will be easier to access here. Over 9,000 people lined up at the Louvre on opening day in Paris, causing a huge jam. Despite the hassles, it's encouraging to see that the fine arts, and especially the Old Masters, still command such crowds!