GOLD: Christmas at the National Gallery – Stories of Gold

Winter has arrived in Vancouver, with the announcement of a snowfall warning that promises more will come. Christmas lights have appeared in neighbouring buildings, their brightness muted by the white flurries. Even so, they remind me that we have entered the festive season of December, a month that brings us many celebrations.

Please join me at the National Gallery, London.

To mark the month of December, ChasingART will travel virtually to The National Gallery to view Stories of Gold. This marvelous collection of videos came out in 2017 to celebrate this special time of year.

This first video answers the question: How do artists convey stories of gold?

Vincenzo Foppa The Adoration of the Kings perhaps about 1500 Oil on poplar, 238.8 x 210.8 cm Bought, 1863 NG729 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/NG729

Throughout history, gold has been celebrated in paintings as a symbol of wealth, power, and the divine. The National Gallery in London contains some of the world’s greatest works of art featuring gold – from Renaissance masterpieces to modern-day gems. At Christmas time, the Gallery is transformed by a shimmering array of gold artwork, making it a must-see destination. The Gallery’s collection includes some of the most iconic pieces featuring gold, such as The Adoration of the Kings by Vincenzo Foppa (1475), The Charity of St Nicholas of Bari by Girolamo Macchietti (around 1500) and The Adoration of the Kings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1564). These works of art capture the beauty and glitter of gold in a dramatic and captivating way. The use of gold in paintings is powerful in conveying a sense of joy, festivity, and celebration.

Thank you for joining me at The National Gallery!

Girolamo Macchietti The Charity of St Nicholas of Bari about 1555-60 Oil on wood, 75 x 112 cm Accepted by HM Government in lieu of Inheritance Tax and allocated to the National Gallery, 2007 NG6606 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/NG6606

Pieter Bruegel the Elder The Adoration of the Kings 1564 Oil on oak, 112.1 × 83.9 cm Bought with contributions from the Art Fund and Arthur Serena through the Art Fund, 1920 NG3556 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/NG3556

We Love Vermeer

Vermeer at the Rijksmuseum

February 10 – June 4, 2023, The Rijksmuseum has promised the largest Johannes Vermeer exhibition, entitled Vermeer. The magnitude of this exhibition is envisioned in the research projects leading up to the February 2023 opening. In the weeks ahead, ChasingART will travel virtually to The Rijksmuseum to find the stories behinds the paintings.

The Love Letter, Johannes Vermeer, c. 1669 – c. 1670

oil on canvas, h 44cm × w 38.5cm

“Vermeer chose a remarkable point of view for this painting. A glimpse of a room with a domestic scene can be seen from a dimly lit room. A richly dressed woman expectantly receives a letter from a maid. The subject of the letter may be apparent from the seascape behind them. In the 17th century, the sea was often compared to love, and the lover to a ship.” Rijksmuseum

View of Houses in Delft, Known as ‘The Little Street’, Johannes Vermeer, c. 1658

oil on canvas, h 54.3cm × w 44cm × d 9cm

“This is an unusual painting in Vermeer’s oeuvre, and remarkable for its time as a portrait of ordinary houses. The composition is as exciting as it is balanced. The old walls with their bricks, whitewash, and cracks are almost tangible. The location is Vlamingstraat 40–42 in Delft. Vermeer’s aunt Ariaentgen Claes lived in the house at the right, with her children, from around 1645 until her death in 1670.” Rijksmuseum

Johannes Vermeer: The Secrets of the Milkmaid

Vermeer at the Rijksmuseum

Maid With Milk Jug by Johannes Vermeer (Het melkmeisje – Google Art Project, Public Domain

A RESEARCH PROJECT, PART III

From the series Vermeer

“Scientists have been studying The Milkmaid for centuries, but what mysteries does it still hold? Our researchers have been working with the Mauritshuis in The Hague and the University of Antwerp, studying all the Vermeer paintings in the Netherlands. In this video you can see just some of the results!” The Rijksmuseum

At the Rijksmuseum: The Secrets of the Milkmaid

Maid With Milk Jug by Johannes Vermeer (At the Rijksmuseum: The Secrets of the Milkmaid. Public Domain)

Vincent Van Gogh: Poppy Field

“On the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, we will remember them.”

Vincent van Gogh – Poppy field – Google Art Project, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In Flanders Fields
BY JOHN MCCRAE

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
    That mark our place; and in the sky
    The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
    Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
        In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
    The torch; be yours to hold it high.
    If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
        In Flanders fields.

Johannes Vermeer: Secrets Behind the Painting, “Woman Reading a Letter”

Vermeer at the Rijksmuseum

Who was Johannes Vermeer?

In the 17th century, Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer was just one of many masters working in a small town known for its trade. But today, he stands out as the greatest Dutch artist of his time and his work has earned him a distinctive place in art history.

Johannes Vermeer was born around 1632 in the Dutch city of Delft (it was known as Den Briel at the time). Little is known about his early life, and he appears to have led a rather unremarkable existence. We do know that he studied art in Delft and got married at the age of 27 to Catharina Bolnes, which was of concern to Catharina’s mother, Maria Thins, based on Vermeer’s financial circumstances. Johannes and Catharina had fifteen children, four of whom, regrettably were buried before being baptized.

Johannes Vermeer’s artistic life spanned just over 20 years, during which he lived frugally and produced only 35 paintings. His art is both old-fashioned and utterly timeless. When I view his paintings, I feel like I have stepped through a door into Johannes Vermeer’s time. There is an unexpected sense of intimacy that challenges me to consider the necessity of art within our lives.

His paintings are filled with light, and it is this radiance that makes his work unique. Vermeer used light in a way that nobody had done before. He wanted his paintings to look like windows into a real world, so he used light to create the illusion of realism. He painted light in a very deliberate way, using it to create shapes and patterns that look like they exist in the real world.

Johannes Vermeer is now considered the most famous artist of his time, but he was also the most mysterious. He left behind no letters, no journals, not even a list of his own works. After his death, the art world had no idea what to make of his paintings, until the French art critic, Théophile Thoré Burger, rediscovered him. He is now considered one of the most original painters of his generation. Through his masterpieces he reveals an innovative understanding of art as an important human activity.

Woman Reading a Letter, Johannes Vermeer, c. 1663

oil on canvas, h 46.5cm × w 39cm × d 6.5cm More details

The story behind “Woman Reading a Letter”

“Enjoying a quiet, private moment, this young woman is absorbed in reading a letter in the morning light. She is still wearing her blue night jacket. All of the colours in the composition are secondary to its radiant lapis lazuli blue. Vermeer recorded the effects of light with extraordinary precision. Particularly innovative is his rendering of the woman’s skin with pale grey, and the shadows on the wall using light blue.” The Rijksmuseum

#FridayPainting: John William Waterhouse “Circe”

Only that: we are here. This is what it means to swim in the tide, to walk the earth and feel it touch your feet. This is what it means to be alive.”
Madeline Miller, Circe

Circe is the daughter of the Titan sun god Helios, and the nymph, Perse, making her a granddaughter of Atlas and a sister to Aeetes.

In Greek mythology, Circe was a famous enchantress who had many abilities, one of which was her ability to transform people into animals. She lived on the island of Aea in the Black Sea where she transformed Odysseus’s men into swine with her magic potion and kept them as her slaves.

In this painting, John William Waterhouse combined feminine beauty and mystery in a reflective pose. The magic potion on the table reminds viewers that Circe is a dangerous enchantress.