Arthur K. Wheelock Jr.

"The National Gallery of Art's collection of seventeenth-century Flemish paintings is relatively small, numbering less than sixty, but exceptional in quality. At the core of the collection are twelve paintings by Sir Peter Paul Rubens and his school and seventeen paintings by Sir Anthony van Dyck, including some of their finest masterpieces. Also represented are excellent works by other important Flemish masters, among them Osias Beert the Elder, Adriaen Brouwer, Jan Brueghel the Elder, and David Teniers the Younger." "This catalogue of the Gallery's remarkable collection of Flemish paintings offers new information about each of the individual works. Stylistic characteristics of the paintings have been analyzed; historical circumstances related to their creation have been assessed; and their provenances have been reexamined. A number of the paintings have undergone conservation treatment, while the technical characteristics of other works have been thoroughly studied. This exhaustive research has indicated that the titles, dates, and even attributions of a number of works needed to be changed, and the catalogue includes a concordance of these revisions."--Jacket.

This book examines these fascinating characteristics of Dutch art by bringing together some of the finest works from the period, including five masterpieces by Johannes Vermeer. These paintings and the scholarly essays that accompany them off glimpses into the reality of Dutch life, particularly as it unfolded in the city of Delft during the middle years of the seventeenth century.The book accompanied an exhibition at Osaka Municipal Museum of Art from April to June 2000.The book includes scenes that would have represented shared experiences for every citizen of Delft, but also images that were private , in that individual activities and values served as the artist's focus. Understanding and articulating their respective characteristics provides the focus of the discussions.The world that seventeenth century Dutch artists portrayed seems real and immediate. One can almost imagine wandering within their flat landscapes, with towns and church towers silhouetted against the Dutch sky, or participating in the tender human encounters these artists so movingly captured in their renderings of daily life. However, most Dutch paintings, while seemingly true to life, contain ideas and beliefs that remain elusive, however carefully one examines the images.

This book examines the creative process and technical means by which the great Dutch seventeenth-century painter achieved his remarkable pictorial effects. Arthur Wheelock begins by placing Vermeer's art in historical perspective, with emphasis on the artistic environment in his home city of Delft and the importance of history painting in the mid-1600s. He then closely examines seventeen of the thirty-six extant paintings in Vermeer's oeuvre, works that span the range of the artist's career. Using the results of x-rays, pigment analysis, and infrared reflectography, some of the secrets of Vermeer's wonderfully elusive artistry are revealed. For example, Vermeer was able to simulate reality, simplify and highlight meaning, establish a sense of time and permanence, and enhance the mood he wished to create through inventive use of brushwork, color, and compositional refinements. Lavishly illustrated with color reproductions of Vermeer's paintings, the book is certain to appeal to all devotees of Dutch art.

This book commemorates the 350th anniversary of the death of Anthony Van Dyck, the brilliant Flemish painter. It contains more than 100 reproductions of Van Dyck's best oil paintings and sketches from all phases of his career; as well as several commentaries on his life and work.

"Forty-five of Cuyp's most distinguished paintings and sixty-four drawings are reproduced here in brilliant color, accompanied by more than 100 comparative illustrations. Their appeal lies not only in the subject matter but also in their distinctive style, for Cuyp infused his arcadian subjects and river views with a sensitivity to light and a clarity of form that is firmly grounded in reality.". "Pulished to accompany an international touring exhibition, the book features insightful essays by an international team of curators and scholars that discuss Cuyp's work in the context of his time, personal background, artistic development, patrons, use of costume, and artistic techniques."--BOOK JACKET.