Pieter Claesz

Pieter Claesz (1597 - Jan 1, 1661) was a Dutch Golden Age painter of still lifes.

He was born in Berchem, Belgium, near Antwerp, where he became a member of the Guild of St. Luke in 1620. He moved to Haarlem in 1620, where his son, the landscape painter Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem was born (October 1). He and Willem Claeszoon Heda, who also worked in Haarlem, were the most important exponents of the "ontbijt" or dinner piece. They painted with subdued, virtually monochromatic palettes, the subtle handling of light and texture being the prime means of expression. Claesz generally chose objects of a more homely kind than Heda, although his later work became more colourful and decorative. Claesz's still lifes often suggest allegorical purpose, with skulls serving as reminders of human mortality. The two men founded a distinguished tradition of still life painting in Haarlem. Pieter Claesz was influenced by the artist movement 'Vanitas'.

Work and painting style:

Claesz's still lifes can be distinguished in three types:

"Breakfasts". A still life with bread, knives, fish, the things that were eaten during a meal at the end of the morning.
"Banketgens". A still life with a richly filled pie.
"Backpacks". A still life with tobacco, pipe and similar items.
Claesz. Painted mainly for the free market, but also commissioned work.

At the beginning of his career, Claesz painted still bright colors, later his work was always covered and more intimate, using a virtually monochromatic palette. This development also took place at the Dutch landscape painters, as was the case with Claesz's son.

A development in composition is also evident during Claesz's life. At the beginning he placed the objects often cross-shaped or in a strict diagonal, later he made more use of overlap between the objects, resulting in a greater depth. In the course of his life, he also painted from an ever-lowered viewpoint, which means that one looks less from the top on the table with still life, but from the side.

The use of Claesz's light and shadow. Is brilliant. He paints light reflections between different objects, and further explains the light effect of different surfaces, making a difference between a tin or a silver plate, a glass of roemer, a pot of pottery. However, this control of the expression of dust occurs in more 17th century Dutch painters. In some works Claesz has. Painted himself, sitting behind his easel, however unobtrusive, through the reflection in a glass. The painting of glass was a specialty of Claesz.

Claesz. Often used the same objects in his still life; A knife with a pinned mother of pearl handle, a roemer, a pipe glass, tin plates and cannons with a swan neck, and fine porcelain bowls, imports from China. Often a glass was depicted, which makes the composition winnings. Claes signed with PC, or with PCH (with the H of Haarlem).

Virtually all of Claesz's still life. Refer to the die and the temporality of life and pleasure. This is also called vanitas. He uses a lot of extinguished or outgoing candles, musical instruments, watches, old books, stationery like a goose feather, skulls, etc. He also paints many foods like bread, cheese, wine, oysters, fish, poultry, ham, olives and walnuts . Lemon also appeared a lot, as a yellow key in the monochrome palette. Lemon was often used to flavor the sweet white wine. The still life of Claesz. Were not meant to show off, like those of its predecessors, but to inspire viewers to lead a good and religious life. Claesz. However, also makes prank stillings, incorporating silver or golden heavier decorative cups, many fruits and flowers.

Rarely used Claesz. Fruit in his paintings. If he did, he switched a colleague painter, in various cases Roelof Koets, who then filled half of the painting with fruit and wine leaves, a basket, etc. Both signed the painting when it was ready.

Exhibition:
In 2004/2005, a traveling exhibition with 45 works by Claesz. Decorated, shown at the Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem, then in the Kunsthaus Zürich and in the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C ..
https://hisour.com/artist/pieter-claesz/