Weyerman’s collection of artists’ biographies (1729) is exceptional for three reasons. Firstly, he includes a great number of painters not mentioned elsewhere. Secondly, he does not limit his selection to good artists only; he also discusses failed painters and their abortive careers. Thirdly, he writes as an art critic who does not hesitate to pass judgments, sometimes severe, on his chosen subjects. In the process, Weyerman provides much information on the social and economic circumstances of art production. He found that a bohemian lifestyle was pernicious to a painter’s career, and argued that artists should live and think as merchants. In addition to analyzing Weyerman’s art critical terminology and his ideas on art theory, De Vries includes translations of two full chapters along with the original Dutch.
Author(s): Lyckle de Vries
Series: Brill's Studies in Intellectual History, 309. Brill’s Studies on Art, Art History, and Intellectual History, 43
Publisher: Brill
Year: 2020
Language: English
Pages: 396
City: Leiden
Contents
Preface
Illustrations
Introduction
1 Contents of the Levens-Beschryvingen
2 Weyerman’s Opinions
Chapter 1. Painted and Written Genre Scenes
1 Urban Genre
2 Low Life Genre
3 Italianate Scenes
4 Large-Scale Genre Paintings
5 Fine Painting
Chapter 2. Failed Artists
1 Pretentions of Nobility
2 Social Skills
3 Marriage
4 Painterly Studios
5 Intemperance
6 Mental Problems
7 Art Dealers and Their Victims
8 Copying
9 Antwerp’s Vrijdagsmarkt
10 Street Vendors and Itinerant Painters
Chapter 3. Portraiture
1 London
2 The ‘Byway’ of Art
3 The Sitter’s Identity
4 Good Manners, Flattery and Beauty
5 The Netherlands
6 Other Group Portraits
Chapter 4. Art in the Public Space
1 Altarpieces
2 Stained Glass Windows
3 Wall Tapestries
4 Princely Commissions
5 Government Commissions
6 Municipal Commissions
7 Festive Entries
8 Private Commissions
Chapter 5. Art Criticism
1 Choice of Subject Matter
2 Composition
3 Human Figures
4 Pictorial Space
5 Reddering
6 Colouring
7 Handling of the Brush
8 Welstand
Chapter 6. Pliny, Durand and Weyerman
1 Weyerman’s Ideas in Perspective
2 Beauty
3 Grace
4 Art and Nature
5 The Purpose of Art
6 Classification
7 Conclusion
Epilogue
Appendix 1. The Life of Willem de Fouchier
Appendix 2. Uytbreyding over de schilderkonst der ouden
Bibliography
Indices
Artists — Ancient
Artists — Early Modern
Topography
