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Jacob Jordaens lived in the 16th century and was a Flemish artist. He was an important master of the Antwerp School, which he influenced decisively with his extraordinary painting style. His paintings still fascinate us today with their amazing energy and vivid imagination.
Jordaens began his artistic training at the tender age of 14 at Adam van Noort in Antwerp. Van Noort had been, among other things, the teacher of the world-famous and first-class painter Peter Paul Rubens and enjoyed a high reputation in the art scene of the time. As an adult man, Jordaens was also accepted as a master in the so-called Luke's Guild. The earliest surviving work by Jordaens shows an Adoration of the Shepherds, which he painted in 1616. In the same year he married the daughter of his teacher Van Noort. All the talented young painters of that time, such as Rubens or Anthony van Dyck , went on an artistic journey to Italy at that time. This was even considered essential. Despite his ambitions, Jordaens did not take advantage of this opportunity to learn from the arts of the Italians. He spent his life in the south of the Netherlands and rarely left his beloved homeland.
Jordaen's painting "The Daughters of Cecrop" clearly shows the influences the young painter brought to his painting. The viewer immediately thinks of Ruben's heavy, fleshy figures and his qualitative coloring. The attention to detail as well as the strong side lighting brings associations with the work of the Italian painter Caravaggio. Jordaens probably came into contact with his art through his Flemish artist colleagues who had visited Rome and were imitators of the Italian style.
The Augustinians of Antwerp commissioned for the three altarpieces for their church not only the great artists Rubens and Van Dyck, but also the nowadays less known Jordaens. Throughout his life, however, his standing among the Nordic artists was equal. 1620 to 1640 was Jordaens most productive creative period. The works of his mature period established his reputation as a gifted painter. Jordaen's subjects were largely religious. A number of illustrations were also made for a fable. He turned the martyrdom of Saint Apollonia into a spectacular, exuberant scene. He lived out his creativity by repeating several variations of a theme on numerous canvases. Also noteworthy are Jordaen's exuberant scenes of family celebrations, full of comical and intelligent observations of the tradition and culture of the time. He reinterpreted mythological themes in the spirit of parody. He painted the god Jupiter as a whining child crying for his milk.
Jordaens was also one of Rubens' most important assistants. In the 1630s he was commissioned with a monumental project and won Jordaen as a member of his team. Jordaens painted several large paintings after Rubens' designs. This testifies to the great intimacy between artists who did not see themselves as rivals. In the following years, the modest Jordaen continued to provide Rubens with artistic assistance. Jordaens also helped with the execution of the huge picture cycle for the hunting lodge of King Philip IV in Spain.
One of Jordaen's own major projects was the commission of several paintings for the decoration of the Huis ten Bosch near The Hague in Holland. The main picture in this commission was a scene of the triumphant Prince Frederick Henry in 1652. As a mature man, Jordaens left the Roman Church and became a Calvinist. He often held services for Protestant communion in his own home. Professionally, his conversion to the Reformed Church had not caused him any difficulties, but he continued to paint devotional pictures for his Catholic patrons. The oil painting "Christ among the doctors" is one of his most extraordinary religious late works. In an amusing way he depicts the scribes and Pharisees listening to the Child Jesus. This forms a striking contrast to the sober classicism of the overall composition.
Jacob Jordaens lived in the 16th century and was a Flemish artist. He was an important master of the Antwerp School, which he influenced decisively with his extraordinary painting style. His paintings still fascinate us today with their amazing energy and vivid imagination.
Jordaens began his artistic training at the tender age of 14 at Adam van Noort in Antwerp. Van Noort had been, among other things, the teacher of the world-famous and first-class painter Peter Paul Rubens and enjoyed a high reputation in the art scene of the time. As an adult man, Jordaens was also accepted as a master in the so-called Luke's Guild. The earliest surviving work by Jordaens shows an Adoration of the Shepherds, which he painted in 1616. In the same year he married the daughter of his teacher Van Noort. All the talented young painters of that time, such as Rubens or Anthony van Dyck , went on an artistic journey to Italy at that time. This was even considered essential. Despite his ambitions, Jordaens did not take advantage of this opportunity to learn from the arts of the Italians. He spent his life in the south of the Netherlands and rarely left his beloved homeland.
Jordaen's painting "The Daughters of Cecrop" clearly shows the influences the young painter brought to his painting. The viewer immediately thinks of Ruben's heavy, fleshy figures and his qualitative coloring. The attention to detail as well as the strong side lighting brings associations with the work of the Italian painter Caravaggio. Jordaens probably came into contact with his art through his Flemish artist colleagues who had visited Rome and were imitators of the Italian style.
The Augustinians of Antwerp commissioned for the three altarpieces for their church not only the great artists Rubens and Van Dyck, but also the nowadays less known Jordaens. Throughout his life, however, his standing among the Nordic artists was equal. 1620 to 1640 was Jordaens most productive creative period. The works of his mature period established his reputation as a gifted painter. Jordaen's subjects were largely religious. A number of illustrations were also made for a fable. He turned the martyrdom of Saint Apollonia into a spectacular, exuberant scene. He lived out his creativity by repeating several variations of a theme on numerous canvases. Also noteworthy are Jordaen's exuberant scenes of family celebrations, full of comical and intelligent observations of the tradition and culture of the time. He reinterpreted mythological themes in the spirit of parody. He painted the god Jupiter as a whining child crying for his milk.
Jordaens was also one of Rubens' most important assistants. In the 1630s he was commissioned with a monumental project and won Jordaen as a member of his team. Jordaens painted several large paintings after Rubens' designs. This testifies to the great intimacy between artists who did not see themselves as rivals. In the following years, the modest Jordaen continued to provide Rubens with artistic assistance. Jordaens also helped with the execution of the huge picture cycle for the hunting lodge of King Philip IV in Spain.
One of Jordaen's own major projects was the commission of several paintings for the decoration of the Huis ten Bosch near The Hague in Holland. The main picture in this commission was a scene of the triumphant Prince Frederick Henry in 1652. As a mature man, Jordaens left the Roman Church and became a Calvinist. He often held services for Protestant communion in his own home. Professionally, his conversion to the Reformed Church had not caused him any difficulties, but he continued to paint devotional pictures for his Catholic patrons. The oil painting "Christ among the doctors" is one of his most extraordinary religious late works. In an amusing way he depicts the scribes and Pharisees listening to the Child Jesus. This forms a striking contrast to the sober classicism of the overall composition.