#The Netherlands

Baroque

Nine Reasons to Smile with Frans Hals’ Portraits

Frans Hals (c. 1582–1666) was one of the Dutch Golden Age painters. Born in Antwerp, he spent his entire adult life in Haarlem. Hals is most famous...

Joanna Kaszubowska 20 January 2025

Baroque

Pure Happiness, Fun, and Joy in Jan Steen’s Paintings

I am a true happiness digger and I’m looking for happiness also in art. If you are a frequent reader here, you may have seen our other articles...

Rute Ferreira 20 January 2025

Johannes Vermeer, The Milkmaid, ca. 1660, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Wikimedia Commons (public domain). Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer

Among many representations of domestic scenes of respectable Dutch middle-class households, there is one that never ceases to impress and capture the...

Giordana Goretti 19 January 2025

Artist Stories

The Dutch Master of Selfies: Rembrandt’s 6 Magnificent Self-Portraits

Rembrandt van Rijn, one of the greatest painters and printmakers in European art, was born 416 years ago in Leiden, Netherlands. Today, people take...

Zuzanna Stańska 15 January 2025

Post-Impressionism

10 Vincent van Gogh Self-Portraits You Need to Know

Vincent van Gogh created 36 self-portraits in the space of only 10 years. These works are an amazing source of knowledge not only of how Van Gogh...

Zuzanna Stańska 15 January 2025

Self-portrait of a Caucasian woman at her easel, leaning back in her chair looking at the viewer. On her easel is a painting of man happily playing the violin. The artist is wearing a purple dress with white collar ruff and cap. Dutch Golden Age Women Artists. Women Artists

Judith Leyster: The Leading Star of the Dutch Golden Age

Judith Leyster was a highly regarded genre painter in 17th-century Holland. Her career was cut short by her marriage, and after her death, her...

Catriona Miller 13 January 2025

European Art

Winter Through Pieter Bruegel’s Eyes

Nature is ever-present in Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s work. As seasons change, the painter captures nature’s subtle details. Among them,...

Javier Abel Miguel 13 January 2025

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Threatened Swan by Jan Asselijn

Swans are normally characterized as graceful birds. They are magnificent and majestic. However, Jan Asselijn displays another side of these elegant...

James W Singer 5 January 2025

Quiz

QUIZ: Who Painted the Party? Awesome Parties in Art History

Ledys Chemin 30 December 2024

European Art

Hendrick Avercamp: Chronicler of the Little Ice Age

A dog tears at the carcass of a long-dead horse. Nearby, a man brandishes what looks like a golf club, and a dandy grins alongside a woman in a...

Guest Profile 26 December 2024

Baroque

Delftware 101—The Brilliant Face of the Dutch Golden Age

When we think of the Netherlands, a few characteristic things come to mind: tulips, windmills, orange, cheese and painted clogs to name but a few.

Giordana Goretti 23 December 2024

Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Still Life with a Golden Goblet by Pieter de Ring

Why is food such a popular image for art and culture? For millennia it has been a source of inspiration from ancient Roman mosaics through Dutch...

James W Singer 22 December 2024