French Baroque Era Painter, 1593-1652
French painter. He was well known in his lifetime, especially for his depictions of candlelit subjects, then was forgotten until the 20th century, when the identification of works previously misattributed established his reputation as a giant of French painting. His early works were painted in a realistic manner and influenced by the dramatic chiaroscuro of Caravaggio. The paintings of La Tour's maturity are marked by a startling geometric simplification of the human form and by the depiction of interior scenes lit only by the glare of candles or torches. His religious paintings done in this manner have a monumental simplicity and a stillness that expresses both contemplative quiet and wonder. Little is known of his life, and only four or five of his paintings are dated. Related Paintings of LA TOUR, Georges de :. | Adoration of the Shepherds s | The Dream of St Joseph sf | The Hurdy-gurdy Player | Magdalen with the Smoking Flame f | St Sebastien Attended by St Irene | Related Artists:
OOSTERWIJK, Maria vanDutch woman painter (b. 1630, Nootdorp, d. 1693, Uitdam)
was a Dutch Baroque painter, specializing in richly detailed still lifes. She was a student of Jan Davidsz de Heem. Van Oosterwijk worked in Delft and later in Amsterdam (1675-1689), where she lived opposite the workshop of Willem van Aelst. She was popular with European royalty, including Emperor Leopold, Louis XIV of France and William III of England. Despite this, as a woman, she was not allowed to join the painters' guild. Her work is in many prominent collections, including the Fitzwilliam Museum (Cambridge), the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Vienna), the Palatine Gallery in Palazzo Pitti (Florence), the Royal Collection
Tobias Verhaecht (Antwerp, 1561 - 1631) was a painter and draughtsman active in Antwerp, Florence and Rome. Primarily a landscape painter, his style is indebted to mannerist world landscapes of artists like Joachim Patinir with high viewpoints, fantastic distant perspectives and three-colour scheme. Before Verhaecht entered Antwerp's guild of St. Luke in 1590-91, he had already spent time in Italy, first in Florence, and then as a fresco painter in Rome. Peter Paul Rubens, who was a relative by marriage, studied with him around 1592, and another student was his own son, Willem van Haecht. Verhaecht is also known for his designs for prints.
BACKER, Jacob deFlemish painter (b. 1555/60, Antwerpen, d. 1585/90, Antwerpen)
Flemish painter and draughtsman. According to van Mander, as a young boy de Backer was abandoned by his father, also a painter, who had to flee Antwerp because of an impending court trial. Jacob then worked for several years in the studio of Antonio van Palermo (1503/13-before 1589) and later entered the workshop of Hendrick van Steenwijck. Van Mander further claimed that the strenuous labour that van Palermo had imposed on the young man had so wrecked his health that he died at the age of 30, in the arms of his former master's daughter. This, van Mander added, happened a long time ago, thus implying that de Backer died before van Steenwijck left Antwerp in 1586. This is confirmed by other evidence, including the age of van Palermo's daughter Lucretia, who was baptized in Antwerp on 25 July 1561. She lived until 1626 and at the time of her death still possessed six paintings by de Backer.