Dutch and Flemish Art in Paris

With no less than three major exhibitions currently taking place, Paris has earned its title of Capital of the North. Running well into the New Year, the Pinacotheque and Jacquemart-Andre Museums in association with the Netherlands Institute of Paris are displaying works of art from Van Eyck to Brueghel, to Rembrandt and Vermeer, spanning more than 250 years, from the 15th century through to the Golden Age of Dutch Art which was at its apogee during the 16th century.

What makes the Paris exhibitions unique is that the paintings on loan have rarely, if ever, been seen outside their usual home. In addition, while the principal, celebrity names have come to town, many of the paintings on show are from artists whose works are rarely seen in the Dutch and Flemish art collections housed in the world’s leading galleries and museums. These exhibitions thus provide an insight into the quality and depth of artistic talent that emerged in northern and southern Netherlands.

The 17th century was one of the most fascinating periods in the history of art. If the Golden Age produced such a prolific array of talent it has to be attributed to Philip 11 of Spain, overlord of the northern Hapsburg region of the Holy Roman Empire, succeeding his father Charles V. From his distant capital in Madrid he was confronted with revolts over taxation and Spanish authority that separated the Catholics in the south and Protestants in the north. The conflict led to the 80 years war.

But Spain gradually relinquished control and allowed the Dutch more freedom until total independence was finally granted by the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. The rebel provinces of Flanders and Brabant eventually became Belgium and Luxembourg. The young Dutch Republic developed into a major sea power expanding international trade with the east. Following the creation of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) a new bourgeois class emerged of wealthy businessmen who became patrons of art, a role which hitherto had been reserved for aristocrats and Royalty. The religious and economic freedom and commercial prosperity attracted intellectuals transforming Holland into a centre of knowledge and culture where artist’s workshops and guilds were free to develop and flourish.

As the Netherlands grew into a prosperous, cultural and commercial centre, Flemish artists experimented and introduced new methods into their painting. They started to paint what they saw. They were among the first to include landscapes as a backdrop to portraits. They moved away from painting religious scenes and portraits of aristocrats and royalty to genre painting, developing landscape and interior scenes depicting the daily lives of ordinary people. Never has a period produced so many artists who became experts in their subject, painting such a variety of themes and who have retained their notoriety and popularity down through the centuries to today.

As part of its season of temporary exhibitions, The Jacquemart-Andre museum is currently displaying over 50 major works from the Brukenthal Collection, housed in the National Brukenthall museum in the city of Sibiu, Rumania. Thanks to the patronage of the Rumanian Ministry of Culture and Institut de France together with the museum’s curator, art historian, Nicolas Sainte Fare Garnot, it is the first time this unique collection has been shown in France.

Samuel Von Brukenthal was an advisor to Empress Maria Theresa of Austria during the 18th century. He became an avid collector acquiring more than 16000 books and 1200 paintings and drawings built up through a network of art dealers. After being appointed Governor of Transylvania, in 1778 he commenced work on the building of a palace as his official residence. Following his death in 1803 the palace was officially converted into the Brukenthal museum, which today is considered one of the finest museums in Rumania.

The collection comprises unique examples of works by fifteenth century Flemish artists. The masterpiece of the collection is without doubt Jan Van Eyck’s “Man in a Blue Turban” painted circa1430? The portrait of this rather despondent figure holding a ring to give to his fiancée is a perfect example of the meticulous detail depicted in the faces and the soft colour and texture of costumes so distinctive of Flemish artists. Other works include landscapes by Pieter Bruegel and his son Jan Brueghel, portraits by Hans Memling, mythological scenes by Jacob Jordaens and Rubens, the genre painting of David Teniers, seascapes by Van Eertvelt, the curious painting by Johann Hinz of a cabinet filled with objects, and several examples of still life which the Flemish developed into a fine art through their meticulous attention to detail in the use of objects, texture, symbols and light.

Jan Brueghel, the fish market: courtesy of Galerie d’Art St Honore

Visitors can also tour the permanent exhibition comprising more than 5000 paintings, furnishings, silverware and precious objects acquired by the wealthy patrons Nelie Jacquemart and her husband Edouard Andre during their travels to Italy. He built the mansion during the 19th century with a classic façade and beautifully, decorative, period rooms to create one of Paris’s finest museums that is now owned by the Institut de France. The museum café, located in one of the ground floor reception rooms with its paneled walls and typical high ceiling, provides visitors with a taste of the bourgeois lifestyle in 19th century Paris.

Discreetly housed behind the Madeleine Church in the heart of the city, the Pinacotheque museum is actually a large art gallery specializing in temporary exhibitions. In only its third season, Director, Marc Restellini has obtained the exclusive right to display a collection carefully chosen from the Golden Age of Dutch Art in association with the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam,

Entitled From Rembrandt to Vermeer, the exhibition includes many paintings and objects which have not been exhibited for almost a decade, and the Paris exhibition may be the last time they will be allowed to leave Holland. The Rijksmuseum is currently undergoing major renovation works due to end in 2013.

Over 130 paintings, drawings, porcelain and glass can be viewed in the intimate, linked rooms spread over three floors, each depicting a different theme; landscapes from Hobbema and Ruisdael, the genre scenes of domestic life from Van Steen, Gerard ter Borch and Pieter de Hooch, portraits of De Keyser, Frans Hals and Cuyp, seascapes of Bakhuysen and Van de Velde and several still life paintings by the masters. However the two paintings most likely to attract the attention of visitors are undoubtedly The Love Letter by Vermeer, always the star of Dutch exhibitions, and Rembrandt’s portrait of his son Titus in a monk’s robe.

Many Dutch artists were able to visit Rome where they were influenced by Caravaggio’s “Chiaroscuro” style. Rembrandt, who became the most influential artist of his time, was a master of this technique. Vermeer, although not alone, used intrigue and puzzles in his work leaving the spectator to interpret any hidden meanings. In this painting the spectator’s viewpoint comes from an adjacent room through an open door towards the characters in the central scene. Vermeer’s masterful use of light was believed to have evolved from seeing Piero della Francesca’s masterpiece, The Madonna di Senigallia.

In partnership with the Pinacotheque, the lesser known Custodia Foundation, part of the Netherlands Institute of Paris, has organized its own temporary exhibition. It has managed to obtain on loan over fifty works of 16th century Dutch art from the Musee des Beaux Art in Rouen, known primarily for its French and Italian collection,

Until now the collection has never left the museum and dates back to the 18th century when art connoisseur Jean Baptiste Descamps, author of a book on Flemish and Dutch art, built up his own private collection that was bequeathed to the museum on his death. When the Rouen Museum opened in 1809 his son became the first director.

Housed in the spacious first floor period, reception rooms of the Institute, opposite the French National Assembly, the exhibition includes rare works from Gerard ter Borch, David Teniers, Jan Steen, Nicolaes Berchem, Jan Claesz, Van Dyck, Van Goyen, De Keyser, Nicolaes Maes, Jan Massys, and Willem Kalf. Although it is not so extensive and comprises works by lesser known artists, the exhibition is a perfect compliment to the Pinacotheque and provides further insight into the wealth and variety of the art of this period.

Given the time it takes to put together art exhibitions, it is a remarkable coincidence that so much Dutch and Flemish art is on display in Paris at the same time. Custodia director, Maria Van Berge pointed out that the Institute actually began to arrange its exhibition some years ago. “It is part of our aim to bring Dutch and Flemish art from different French museums and galleries to Paris in order to attract a wider audience,” she said.

Naturally, given their common interest, the museums are working together in partnership and visitors can benefit from special arrangements.