Journal of Undergraduate Research
Volume 4, Issue 2 - October 2002
The History of Naturalism in The Netherlands: The Importance of the Italian Influence
Shayna Rosenthal
ABSTRACT
Part of my research involved an assistantship for an annual art festival, which takes place in Arnhem, Holland. I was working with the artists to install their work and was able to talk to them about how their work fits into my concept of naturalism in art and time. The artists were from all over the globe, which made the festival a melting pot of conceptual artist of the year. The fact that this festival takes place in Holland is relevant to my research following the path of art through Holland.
It is interesting that this festival, the largest of its kind is held in Holland. When we look into the history of art of the region we find that their art movements have always flourished due to visitors from other countries or the Dutch themselves traveling elsewhere.
INTRODUCTION
Naturalism in art is a tendency toward strict adherence to the physical appearance of nature and the rejection of ideal forms. Throughout art history naturalism has popped up in just about every movement or school that took place in Holland as well as everywhere else in the world. It is considered the scientific approach to painting and sculpture.
An important undercurrent of studying the path of naturalism is the politics of the places we are examining. It can be seen in Holland during the period of classicism before naturalism, when bodily forms in painting and sculpture where more idealized, the ruling class was aristocratic. When naturalism became popular and the forms in art became more realistic the ruling class was made up of peasant like people. The peasants appreciated beautiful colors not beautiful forms; they did not understand the forms. The common people refer everything they see to the visual sense. They praise things painted naturally, because they are used to such things. Naturalism has always been on the opposite side of the political spectrum form the bourgeois.
There were two separate schools in Holland, which were known for naturalism in their artwork. The first school was in Utrecht and the second in Amsterdam. In both locations there are many signifiers that lead art historians to believe that naturalism's popularity in Holland came directly from the Italian movement. The Italian movement in question being directly attributed to Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (most commonly referred to as Caravaggio). This Italian painter is responsible for the appearance of chiaroscuro (the contrast between light and dark), which is readily present in the painting and sculpture at this time in Holland.
The painters who follow in the footsteps of Caravaggio are referred to as the Caravaggists. The artists of Holland who are most commonly known for their religious depictions, landscapes and portraits are an example of this. During the seventeenth century the cradle of Dutch art was in Utrecht. This time was known as the Golden Age of Utrecht. The landscapes of this region are directly attributed to Caravaggio due to the use of chiaroscuro and their open compositions.
Figure 1. Caravaggio - Saving of Christ
Figure 2. Caravaggio - Judith and Halofernes
The term naturalism was actually coined for the description of Caravaggio's radical realism to distinguish it from earlier forms. His paintings were intended for the peasants, depicting religious matter in profoundly contemporary lower class terms. This is the first time this type of religious depiction is seen; traditionally this sacred subject matter was depicted as upper class and more idealistically. Unfortunately in Italy he was ahead of his time and the peasants his work was intended for did not appreciate seeing their religious figures painted like themselves instead of idealized. This was probably one of the things that made his work popular in Holland. He is accredited with laying the groundwork for Rembrandt's' religious depiction's to come. He was able to successfully depict religious figures realistically rather than idealistically.
Religious depiction's where changed from then on. Even today we see how religious figures are depicted as similar to the audiences they are meant for. Interestingly enough this whole concept of depicting religious figures similarly to the audiences meant for viewing the art still angers some people today.
Due to the intrigue of the Dutch naturalism painters in Caravaggio's style many of them spent years in Italy studying art as well as painting the beautiful landscapes there. Some of the leading artists concerned here are Cornelis van Poelenburch, Jan Both, and Jan Baptist Weenix. Considering the great expenses of traveling to Italy, most artists were unable to travel and therefore the concepts were transformed along the way like an artist version of the game telephone. In the end this led to more veins of the originally Italian concept of naturalism.
Figure 3. Jan Both - Landscape
Figure 4. Jan Both - Landscape with a Ford
The Utrecht school is responsible for introducing Caravaggio's style to the masters of Holland. Attracted by the lay Christianity subject matter unlike the Italians the paintings from this school directly reflect those of Caravaggio stylistically. The sharp lighting, dramatic timing, and everyday detail where properly carried yet the element of grandeur and simplicity was lost somewhere in the translation.
Figure 5. Frans Hals - Meagre Company
Rembrandt and Frans Hals are considered the masters of this movement from Amsterdam. These artists were able to make better use of the new Italian ideas of lighting, detail, and simplicity than the Utrecht school. Each of these masters learning from those before them and building upon the style is what led to the formation of a movement.
Frans Hals is known for his portraits catching spontaneity in his subjects. His quick brush strokes and split second technique gave his portraits the intimacy and immediacy of a quick sketch. Though he is able to make his paintings look simple and quick everything is very deliberate and he spent hours on his life-size canvas.
Judith Leyster is most likely the most important follower of Hals. She was one of the few who were able to take Hals knowledge and improve on it. Her concentration was an investigation of the poetic quality of light with a quiet intensity.
Figure 6. Judith Leyster - The Concert
Figure 7. Judith Leyster - The Merry Company
Rembrandt agreed by most to be "the master of Dutch art," was part of this movement. Like the other artists of Holland of this time, he pays his respects to Caravaggio through the artists of Utrecht and follows the trends while improving upon them especially concerning chiaroscuro. His paintings conveyed intense realism as well as his own emotional attitude. Aside from his religious subject matter he was the most sought after portrait painter of his time. He despised the mechanically regular designs of earlier portraits and sought to turn his portraits into performances. He would cast people in shadow overlap figures and keep his composition very open so that objects or people seemed to be too large to fit on his canvas.
The self-portraits of Rembrandt through his years as an artists give us insight into his personal life. Showing his inner development as an artist as well as a person. In the beginning they were theatrical and in the end frank. His bold poses and penetrating facial expressions bespeak a resigned but resolve in the face of adversity (Janson 580).
Figure 8. Rembrandt - The Nightwatch
Figure 9. Rembrandt - Self Portrait
The movement as illustrated by the artists shows movement socially, politically, as well as scientifically. This paper is to pinpoint the most important factors involved in the naturalism school in Holland. The direct influence of Italian art, especially that by Caravaggio, on the artists of Utrecht and Amsterdam concerning their use of form, lighting, and composition.
One of the most intriguing aspects of this research is the comparison of the ruling class and the depiction of religious figures in art as well as how the general public feels about the depiction's. The country is also no longer known for its religious arts but has been able to keep up with the fast paced trends of the international art scene. Today Holland is one of the wealthiest countries in the world and by far one of the most supportive of the arts nationally as well as internationally.
REFERENCES
Clark, Kenneth. The Art of Humanism. New York; 1983.
Craske, Matthew. Art in Europe 1700-1800. New York; 1997.
Egbert, Donald Drew. Social Radicalism and the Arts. New York; 1970.
Hauser, Arnold. The Social History of Art, volume III. New York 1999.
Janson, H.W. History of Art. New York; 1995.
Rosenberg, Jakob. Dutch Art and Architecture 1600-1800. New York; 1989.
Rubin, Patricia Lee. Giorgio Vasari: Art and History. New Haven 1995.
Weisberg, Gabriel P. Beyond Impressionism, The Naturalist Impulse. New York; 1992.
Weller, Dennis P. Sinners and Saints, Darkness and Light. Raleigh; 1999.
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