Artistul lunii octombrie 2022

Pieter Claesz (c. 1597 - 1 January 1660) 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.

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 hospitable kind than Heda, although his later work became more colorful and decorative. Claesz's still life often suggests 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'.
Legacy

Claesz is registered in the Haarlem Guild of St. Luke as the teacher of his son, Nicolaes Berchem, in 1634, but Nicolaes preferred landscapes to still life painting, and later after a trip his talent in music.

Rᴇғᴇʀᴇɴᴄᴇs
• Pieter Claesz entry in the RKD;
• National Gallery of Art. @nationalgallery

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