As well as in Florence, she worked in Rome, Venice, Naples and England. Frequently criticized for possessing what was viewed as a masculine talent, she eventually became the only female artist in 17th-century Italy to be taken seriously. She was welcomed as the first official female member of the Accademia del Disegno in Florence and enjoyed renown across Europe. After her death, however, she fell into obscurity, and her works were often attributed to her father or other artists. It was not until the late 20th century that interest in her developed once more.
Key Works
Madonna and Child c.1609, GALLERIA SPADA, ROME, ITALY
Susannah and the Elders 1610, COLLECTION GRAF VON SCHOENBORN, POMMERSFELDEN, GERMANY
Judith and her Maidservant c.1612–13, PITTI GALLERY, FLORENCE, ITALY
Saint Cecilia c.1620, GALLERIA SPADA, ROME, ITALY
Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting 1638/39, ROYAL COLLECTION, LONDON, UK
POUSSIN
1594–1665 • BAROQUE, CLASSICISM
Et in Arcadia Ego
c.1638–40 OIL ON CANVAS
185 × 121 CM (73 × 48 IN)
MUSÉE DU LOUVRE, PARIS, FRANCE
In this earthly paradise, everyday cares do not exist, but a group of shepherds is reading the tomb inscription: “Et in Arcadia Ego.” The words suggest the presence of death even in the most agreeable places. One shadow falls over a shepherd—a premonition of the future.
Inspired by Titian and Raphael in turn, Nicolas Poussin is regarded as the most important and influential French painter of the 17th century and his many followers became known as “Poussinistes.”
Except for a short period when he was ordered back to France to serve as First Painter to the king, Poussin spent most of his working life in Rome. Born in Normandy, at 18 he moved to Paris to train as an artist. There he became enthrallled by classical and Renaissance art in the museums and galleries. In 1624, he went to Rome and remained there for 16 years, studying ancient sculpture and architecture and Renaissance art. During this period of learning and work, his reputation was established and he mixed with the scholars of the day, developing the attitude that art should appeal to the intellect and not just the eyes. His work displayed a blend of his belief in logic, harmony and intellectual accuracy, which separated his painting from that of his Baroque contemporaries. Poussin’s subjects were usually based on stories from classical literature and the Bible, often highlighting moral issues or thoughts about life and death.
In the second half of the 1630s, his reputation had spread and young artists in Paris were beginning to follow his style. Louis XIII demanded his return to France and for about two years he painted altarpieces and canvases and supervised decorative work in the Louvre, until the jealousy of others sent him rushing back to Rome, leaving the work unfinished. Nevertheless, his beliefs about order and the importance of drawing were adopted by the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture, which was established in Paris in 1648. Members of the Académie who emphasized classical design and the primacy of line became known as “Poussinistes,” and he set the standard for a tradition of art that continued until the end of the 19th century.
Key Works
St. Cecilia c.1627–8, MUSEO DEL PRADO, MADRID, SPAIN
Descent from the Cross c.1630, STATE HERMITAGE, ST PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
Adoration of the Golden Calf c.1637, NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON, UK
The Rape of the Sabine Women, Rome 1637–8, MUSÉE DU LOUVRE, PARIS, FRANCE
Assumption of the Virgin c.1638, NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART, WASHINGTON, DC, US
VELÁZQUEZ
1599–1660 • BAROQUE
Coronation of the Virgin
1641–4 OIL ON CANVAS
176 × 124 CM (69 × 48¾ IN)
MUSEO DEL PRADO, MADRID, SPAIN
In a gold, silver, blue, violet and crimson heart-shaped composition, little putti (cherubs) carry Mary up to heaven; Jesus and God hold a crown of roses over her head and the Holy Spirit hovers above her. Bathed in glowing light, and with a silky bloom on her skin, Mary points to her own heart.
Considered by many to be the greatest European painter ever, Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez was a distinctive Baroque artist who painted various historical and cultural works and countless portraits. It is believed that he may have had a greater influence on European art than any other painter.
Born in Seville to a family of noble Portuguese stock, Velázquez served a six-year apprenticeship with Francisco Pacheco (1564–1644), a prominent artist whose workshop attracted poets, scholars and artists. There, the lively discussions about art, humanism and classical antiquity taught the young Velázquez a great deal, especially about Raphael, Michelangelo, Titian and Caravaggio. In 1617, he was accepted into the painters’ guild of St. Luke in Seville, which meant he could set up his own workshop. Although he was only 18, his work had already surpassed that of his teacher’s, displaying precocious skill and provocative power. His use of strong chiaroscuro and naturalism was directly inspired by Caravaggio and his portraits were admired for the life they gave to his subjects.
For the following five years, as well as portraits and religious works, Velázquez produced bodegones—a popular genre of kitchen or tavern scenes featuring food and drink. The dignity and naturalism he brought to these works made him instantly popular. By 1622, he had traveled to Madrid, visiting Toledo on the way to view works by El Greco, and in 1623, he was summoned to the Spanish court to paint a portrait of Philip IV. The resulting work demonstrated his extraordinary talent for painting lifelike portraits. Philip appointed him court painter and declared that in the future, he was the only artist allowed to paint the king. At 24, Velázquez was suddenly the country’s most important painter and he maintained that position for the rest of his life, along with further appointments including marshal of the royal household and planner of ceremonies. The move to the royal court allowed him access to the royal collection and there he studied the Italian paintings, particularly those by Titian. His style and approach changed as a result. He became primarily a portraitist and abandoned bodegones, although he still occasionally painted historical, mythological and religious works. His palette lightened and his brushwork became more fluid.
When Rubens arrived in Madrid on a diplomatic mission in 1628, the two artists became well acquainted and Rubens persuaded Velázquez to go to Italy. He made two trips, in 1629 and 1649, studying paintings at close hand. He also bought works for the king’s collection, including some by Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese. Already influenced by Rubens’s painting style and Venetian palettes, the trip to Italy stimulated and strengthened these notions.
Velázquez died of a fever in 1660. For his incredible treatment of color, light and space, he has been called a painter’s painter, and artists have been influenced by him for centuries. Among the more prominent of these, were Goya, Manet, Whistler and Picasso.