17 th Century Europe sees division of categories of art History painting is on the top—consists of myth, allegories, and history. Is moralistic, and meant to teach people how to behave Genre painting is the painting of scenes of everyday life

Hierarchy of Genres History Nudes Portraiture Genre Landscape Animal Paintings Still Life

Willem Kalf Still Life with Late Ming Ginger Jar 1669 Changes in patronage—newly emerging Middle class shows wealth by Collecting art Luxury items are portrayed in paintings But scale of paintings is modest, in line With Protestant teachings

Clara Peeters Still Life With Flowers, Goblet, Dried Fruit, and Pretzels 1611

Genre painting is not moralistic in character, unlike history painting Genre painting is said to appeal to women due to its portrayal of worldly goods over high- minded ends South perceives Northern painting as too exact and not about heroic subjects, and therefore lower in the hierarchy

William Kalf Still Life with Drinking Horn c Still life= Representation of Inanimate forms Celebrates the Accumulation of goods Is scientifically accurate In detail All about textures and surfaces

Philippe_de_Champaigne_Still-Life_with_a_Skull c Example of “vanitas” painting: reminds the viewer of fleetingness of life, human finitude And mortality. Contains skull as memento mori Has to to with Protestant belief in temperance

Caravaggio Basket of Fruit 1599

Jan Vermeulen Vanitas 1654

Jan de Heem Still Life of Books 1628 Books in disarray show fleetingness of human life and activity

Franz Snyders Still Life with Game and Larder c. 1610

Dutch Landscape Depicts land reclamation efforts (windmills, canals)—swampland is made agriculturally useful Paintings are made repetitively—artists will reproduce same subjects over and over (artists become specialized) Landscape paintings are all about the specificity of place and a national spirit

Claude Lorrain Landscape with Sacrifice to Apollo Ideal landscape: not based in nature. Often contain ruins of classical architecture as A reference to the high art tradition. Combines elements of landscape and history painting

Cuyp Distant View of Dordrecht late 1640's Cows refer to prevalence of dairy industry in the Netherlands Recognizable architecture

Jan Van Goyen A Windmill by a River 1642 In Dutch landscapes, windmills replace classical temples. Land is rendered exactly, without idealization

Jan Vermeer View of Delft 1660 Descriptive painting renders the world as it is seen, not for significant actions, as in the case Of history painting. Painting is almost like a map. “Roving eye” vs perspectival construction

Peter Breughel the Elder View of Naples

Jacob van Ruisdael View of Haarlem c People are inconsequential. Painter remains a craftsperson—continuity of tradition is evident

Vermeer The Letter 1666 Interior domestic scenes become a subject for Dutch 17 th century painting Vermeer is most prominent painter of these scenes Paintings are descriptive but contain symbolism, such as lute, which is a Symbol of love.

Pieter de Hooch Courtyard of a House in Delft 1658

Vermeer the Procuress 1656

Jan Vermeer Allegory of Painting c Vermeer pays close attention to the impact of light Uses small dots of paint called “pointilles”—give the impression of light on form Used a camera obscura to make images This produces “halation,” or the distortion of the image around the edges Painter in this scene is Recognizable as Durer Model is Clio, the muse of History

L: Titian Venus at Her Mirror 1555 R: Jan Vermeer Woman with a Pearl Necklace 1664 Difference between Southern and Northern depictions of women dressing—Southern is Allegory about female vanity, Northern is more ambiguous

L: Jan Steen in the Tavern 1660's R: Jan Vermeer Girl With a Wine Glass