  |
|
|
|
Painting Family: The De BraysMaster Painters of 17th-century HollandThe almost forgotten De Bray family, a dominant artistic dynasty famous throughout 17th-century Holland, are enjoying a comeback at Dulwich Picture Gallery in London.
Dulwich Picture Gallery is hosting an exhibition entitled: Painting Family: The De Brays, Master Painters of 17th-century Holland. The show features paintings by four members of the De Bray family, the father, Salomon, and sons Jan, Dirck and Joseph. Whole families of painters, such as the Bruegels, Bellinis, Hals, Holbeins and Cranachs were not unusual in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. It made good commercial sense for the father to train his sons, and occasionally daughters, to continue the family business. This commercial model was a very practical one. If the family had talent, it made perfect sense to use it. It was easier to train sons and daughters than to do, for example, as Rembrandt did, and train apprentices. Salomon De BraySalomon De Bray (1597-1664) spent most of his life in Haarlem and was probably trained by Cornelis van Haarlem and Hendrick Goltzius. Salomon painted religious and mythological scenes, portraits, landscapes and genre pictures. A versatile man, Salomon was also an architect, urban planner, designer of silverware and theoretician. De Bray and his wife, Anna Westerbaen, had 10 children. The family dominated the Haarlem art scene for many years but seem to have disappeared from sight, unlike Franz Hals (ca. 1580-1666) or Rembrandt 1606-1669), who have remained popular for so many years. The plague epidemic of 1663-34 had something to do with it. Salomon's wife, Anna, died in 1663. In the following year Salomon, two sons and two daughters also died. The only survivors were hs children Jan and Dirck. Jan De Bray: History PaintingsJan De Bray (ca. 1627-1697) was the most important artist working in Haarlem during the second half of the 17th Century. His family, and sometimes his clients, appeared in his history paintings. In Banquet of Mark Antony and Cleopatra: Family Portrait with Salomon De Bray and Anna Westerbaen (1652), Jan's parents appear as Antony and Cleopatra. They are dressed in the style of the Dutch Golden Age. Most of Jan's brothers and sisters also appear, as does Jan himself (he is the young man on the left). The exhibition features 29 paintings by Jan De Bray. Dirck and Joseph De Bray: Still LifesJan's younger brothers, Joseph (1628-1664) and Dirck (ca. 1635-1694), were famous as still life painters. Dirck initially specialised in prints, but later turned to still lifes. The vibrant colours and intricate details of Flower Still Life with Guelder Roses, Columbine and Peonies in a White Vase (1671) bear witness to Dirck's skill. Joseph favoured marine still lifes, often portraying herrings. One must not forget that fishing, especially for herring and cod, was a mainstay of the 17th-century Dutch economy. The exhibition features eight paintings by Joseph and Dirck. A catalogue, published to coincide with the show, features 140 reproductions and essays on Salomon De Bray by Friso Lammertse (curator at the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam), on Jan De Bray, by Pieter Biesboer (curator at the Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem) and on Dirck and Joseph De Bray by Fred G. Meijer (curator at the Netherlands Institute for Art History, The Hague). Painting Family The De Brays... runs until 5th October 2008. Full details of the exhibition and catalogue can be obtained from the Dulwich Picture Gallery.
The copyright of the article Painting Family: The De Brays in Special Art Gallery Exhibits is owned by Frances Spiegel. Permission to republish Painting Family: The De Brays in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|
|
|
