Rembrandt (1606-1669) Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem 1630 Oil on panel, 58 x 46 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam The crestfallen Prophet Jeremiah rests his weary, old head on his hand. He laments Jerusalem going up in flames – in the…
Flinck, Govert (1615-1660) Isaac Blessing Jacob c.1638 Oil on canvas, 115.2 x 140.2 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam The Bible recounts how Jacob, pretending to be his brother Esau, tricked their blind father into bestowing Esau’s rightful blessing on him. The idea of…
Flinck, Govert (1615-1660) Rembrandt as Shepherd with Staff and Flute c.1636 Oil on canvas, 75.1 x 64.4 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam Depictions of shepherds and shepherdesses were popular in the 17th century. They show an idyllic world, one full of simple pleasures. Busy…
Lairesse, Gérard de (1641-1711) Bacchus and Ariadne c.1680 Oil on canvas, 175.2 x 92.5 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (on loan from Mauritshuis, The Hague) Ovid described the following scene in his Metamorphoses: on the island of Naxos, Bacchus, the god of wine, chances upon…
Lairesse, Gérard de (1641-1711) Mercury Ordering Calypso to Release Odysseus c.1680 Oil on canvas, 132 x 96 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam During his wanderings, Odysseus encounters the nymph Calypso, who falls in love with him and holds him captive on her island.…
Lairesse, Gérard de (1641-1711) Odysseus and Calypso c.1680 Oil on canvas, 125 x 94 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam The Greek poet Homer recounts how the heroic warrior Odysseus found refuge on the island of the nymph Calypso. The Trojan War is over:…
Lairesse, Gérard de (1641-1711) Selene and Endymion c.1680 Oil on canvas, 177 x 118.5 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam The chaste goddess of the moon, Selene (or Diana), is in love with the shepherd Endymion. Only at night when he is asleep does…
Lairesse, Gérard de (1641-1711) Cleopatra’s Banquet c.1675–1680 Oil on canvas, 74 x 95.5 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam Cleopatra made a bet with Mark Antony on who could give the most lavish banquet. She won by dissolving a priceless pearl in vinegar and…
Botticelli, Sandro (c.1445-1510) Giuditta con la testa di Oloferne (Judith with the Head of Holofernes) c.1497–1500 Tempera on panel, 36.5 x 20 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Chagall, Marc (1887-1985) Le Violiniste (The Fiddler) 1912–1913 Oil on linen tablecloth, 196.5 x 166.5 x 6.5 cm Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam Marc Chagall completed The Violinist shortly after moving from St. Petersburg to Paris. It is a good example of the…