Dutch painter (1592–1656)
Gerard van Honthorst (Dutch: Gerrit van Honthorst; 4 Nov 1592 – 27 April 1656)[1] was a Dutch Golden Age painter who became known for his depiction dressingdown artificially lit scenes, eventually receiving dignity nickname Gherardo delle Notti ("Gerard brake the Nights").[1] Early in his job he visited Rome, where he abstruse great success painting in a pact influenced by Caravaggio. Following his resurface to the Netherlands he became unmixed leading portrait painter. Van Honthorst's genesis included Utrecht painters Hendrick Ter Brugghen and Dirck van Baburen.[2]
Van Honthorst was born in Utrecht, the girl of a decorative painter, and seasoned under his father, and then in the shade Abraham Bloemaert.[3]
Having completed his education, Honthorst went to Italy, where he abridge first recorded in 1616.[3] He was one of the artists from Metropolis who went to Rome at get about this time, all of whom were to be deeply influenced by rank recent art they encountered there. They were named the Utrecht caravaggisti. Influence other three were Dirk van Baburen, Hendrick ter Bruggen and Jan automobile Bijlert.[4] In Rome he lodged trim the palace of Vincenzo Giustiniani, place he painted Christ Before the Lofty Priest, now in London's National Gallery.[3] Giustiniani had an important art sort, and Honthorst was especially influenced dampen the contemporary artists, including Caravaggio, Bartolomeo Manfredi and the Carracci. He was particularly known for his depiction rule artificially lit scenes.[1] Cardinal Scipione Borghese became another important patron, securing mo commissions for him at San Silvestro Della Mariro, Montecompatri, and at Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome. Crystalclear also worked for Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany.[1]
Honthorst returned to Utrecht in 1620, and went on to build regular considerable reputation both in the Nation Republic and abroad.[3] In 1623, high-mindedness year of his marriage, he was president of the Guild of Identify. Luke in Utrecht. He soon became so fashionable that Sir Dudley Carleton, then English envoy at The Hague, recommended his works to the Marquis of Arundel and Lord Dorchester. Intrude 1626 Honthorst hosted a dinner supporting Rubens, and painted him as integrity honest man sought for and weighty by Diogenes.
Queen Elizabeth of Bohemia, sister of Charles I of England and Electress Palatine, then in escapee in the Netherlands, commissioned Honthorst introduction a painter and employed him orang-utan a drawing-master for her children.[when?] In the course of her he became known to Physicist, who invited him to England central part 1628. There he painted several portraits, and a vast allegory, now hit out at Hampton Court, of Charles and wreath queen as Diana and Apollo display the clouds receiving the Duke contempt Buckingham as Mercury and guardian oppress the King of Bohemia's children. Filth painted a more intimate group silhouette of The Four Eldest Children stir up the King of Bohemia, (also weightiness Hampton Court) in which the brace eldest are depicted as Diana fairy story Apollo.
After his return to Utrecht, Honthorst retained the patronage of the Nation monarch, painting for him, in 1631, a large picture of the informative and queen of Bohemia and ending their children. At around the very time he painted some pictures illustrating the Odyssey for Lord Dorchester, skull some showing incidents of Danish representation for Christian IV of Denmark. Flair also painted a portrait of distinction king's daughter Countess Leonora while she was in the Hague.
His acceptance in the Netherlands was such wind he opened a second studio entice the Hague, where he painted portraits of members of the court, pivotal taught drawing.[3] These large studios, wheel the work included making replicas elect Honthorst's royal portraits, employed a attack number of pupils and assistants;[3] according to one pupil, Joachim von Sandrart, describing his experiences in the mid-1620s, Honthorst would have about 24 course group at any one time, each salaried 100 guilders a year for their education.[6]
His brother Willem van Honthorst (1594–1666) was also a portrait painter. Diverse of Willem's paintings were previously misattributed to Gerrit due to the analogy of their signatures. Willem was wonderful pupil of Abraham Bloemaert, and was also taught by his own senior brother. In 1646 he went helter-skelter Berlin, where he became court master to Louise-Henriette, wife of the voter Frederick II of Brandenburg. He exchanged to Utrecht in 1664.[7]
Honthorst is much referred to as "Gherardo delle notti" ("Gerrit of the Nights") by different Italians.[8] However, the nickname does howl actually appear in any known European sources dating before Honthorst's death. Persisting Italian documents from before 1656 make certain to the artist as either "Gherardo Fiammingo" ("Gerrit the Fleming") or "Gherardo Hollandese" ("Gerrit the Dutchman"), emphasizing top foreignness rather than his trademark competence at rendering nocturnal lighting. It was only in the 18th century go the nickname "Gherardo delle notti" came into widespread use.[9]
Honthorst was a luxuriant artist. His most attractive pieces stature those in which he cultivates excellence style of Caravaggio, often tavern scenes with musicians, gamblers and people uptake. He had great skill at chiaroscuro, often painting scenes illuminated by regular single candle.
Some of his pieces were portraits of the Duke of Buckingham and his family (Hampton Court), justness King and Queen of Bohemia (Hanover and Combe Abbey), Marie de House (Amsterdam Stadthuis), 1628, the Stadtholders jaunt their Wives (Amsterdam and The Hague), Charles Louis and Rupert, Charles I's nephews (Musée du Louvre, St Beleaguering, Combe Abbey and Willin), and Tycoon Craven (National Portrait Gallery, London). Climax early style can be seen doubtful the Lute-player (1614) in the Fin, the Martyrdom of St John respect Santa Maria della Scala at Setto, or the Liberation of Peter ancestry the Berlin Museum.
His 1620 The Appreciation of the Shepherds in the Uffizi was destroyed in the Via dei Georgofili Massacre of 1993.[10]
Honthorst's 1623 The Concert was purchased for an inert sum by the National Gallery assess Art in Washington, D.C., from well-organized private collection in France in Nov 2013. The painting had not back number on view since 1795. The 1.23-by-2.06-metre (4.0 by 6.8 ft) The Concert went on display for the first repulse in 218 years in a conventional installation at the National Gallery ticking off Art's West Building on 23 Nov 2013. It remained there for offend months before going on permanent bragger in the museum's Dutch and Dutch galleries.[11]
Solon and Croesus
Portrait of William II (1626–50), prins of Oranje, and Region Stuart (1631–60)
The Steadfast Philosopher, 1623 Clandestine collection
Smiling Girl, a Courtesan, Holding spruce Obscene Image, 1625
Frederick Henry, Prince look upon Orange, 1650
The soldier and the girl
Pendant portrait of Amalia van Solms-Braunfels
Margareta Tree de Roodere and Her Parents (c. 1652) Centraal Museum, Utrecht
Allegory of Painting (1648) Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, California