Rubens, van Dyck & Jordaens

This book gives an excellent overview of Flemish art from the Hermitage in St Petersburg: 75 paintings and 40 drawings, including numerous masterpieces of the Antwerp School. A large proportion was acquired in the eighteenth century by Catherine the Great, from superb collections such as those of Crozat and Brühl, which she bought up in their entirety. Many of these paintings originally hung in churches and monasteries in Antwerp and other European cities. Most attention focuses on the 'big three': Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck and Jacob Jordaens. Rubens was the most important, the most talented, and the most influential seventeenth-century Flemish painter. He was also a phenomenon in his day, a true homo universalis. The portraits produced by Van Dyck for the court of King Charles I of England also share the limelight, along with impressive history paintings by Jordaens, exuding the vibrant atmosphere in which he excelled. Other masters in this overview include Frans Snijders, with a number of surprisingly dynamic still lifes, and David Teniers the Younger, with numerous delicately-painted genre pieces. The book also discusses Antwerp as a city of art and the history of the Flemish art collection in the Hermitage. Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) will be a special focus of the exhibition, represented by 17 paintings and many drawings. Rubens was the most accomplished and influential Flemish painter of the seventeenth century. At the same time, he was known as a charming nobleman, diplomat, and collector, and his workshop was a well-run business. He was a legend in his day, a homo universalis. Both Rubens's religious and his secular works illustrate his unequalled talent. The exhibition will also devote substantial attention to his influence and followers. For instance, a place of honour is reserved for the portraits painted for the English court by Anthony van Dyck. Impressive history paintings by Jacob Jordaens, still lifes by Frans Snijders, and genre pieces by David Teniers the Younger will also be displayed in their full glory. The exhibition will be accompanied by a catalogue with essays by Russian and Flemish authors.