Ariane van Suchtelen – författare

Roelant Savery (1578-1639) was among the large group of Flemish artists who arrived in the Northern Netherlands around 1600, during the Eighty Years' War. There, they were at the cradle of the great flowering of art in the 17th century. Savery was a highly versatile draughtsman and painter, specialising in landscapes, animal scenes and flower still lifes. With encyclopaedic precision, he depicted countless different species: animals, flowers but also people from various regions, from Bohemian peasants to Jewish believers in the synagogue. Savery became the painter of the extinct dodo from Mauritius. For more than a decade, Savery worked in the service of the Habsburg emperor Rudolf II in Prague, who sent him out to capture the landscapes and people of his empire. Coming from the Low Countries, the waterfalls in the Alps must have made a deep impression on the artist. After returning to the Netherlands, Roelant Savery settled in Utrecht, where he created a garden with precious flowers and plants behind his house. This way, he did not have to leave home to find inspiration for his flower still lifes.

Travel today is fast, comfortable, and accessible to many. But between the 17th and early 19th centuries, it was a privilege reserved for the elite. Young British aristocrats would embark on a Grand Tour as the final stage of their education. Italy was the highlight of this cultural journey, with visits to Rome, Florence, Venice, and Mount Vesuvius. Along the way, they admired art and architecture, forged connections, and refined their taste - often returning home with artworks and souvenirs to adorn their country estates.It wasn’t just young men who travelled; entire families journeyed across Europe in grand entourages. What inspired them to set out, which routes did they take, and what treasures did they bring back?This book explores those journeys and presents a remarkable selection of artworks brought home from three of England’s finest stately homes: Holkham Hall, Burghley House, and Woburn Abbey.

An expert look at the life and captivating work of the Dutch painter Nicolaes Maes, Rembrandt’s most famous pupilThis book offers a close look at the art of Dutch Golden Age painter Nicolaes Maes (1634–1693). One of Rembrandt’s most talented students, Maes began by painting biblical scenes in the style of his famous teacher. He later produced extraordinary genre pieces, in which the closely observed actions of the main figure, often a woman, have a hushed, almost monumental character. Maes also depicted mothers with children or older women praying or sleeping; such works have placed him among the most popular painters of the Dutch Golden Age. From around 1660, Maes turned exclusively to portraiture, and his elegant style attracted wealthy and eminent clients from Dordrecht and Amsterdam. This generously illustrated volume is the first in English to cover the full range of his repertoire. The authors—curators from the National Gallery, London, and the Mauritshuis, The Hague—bring extensive knowledge to bear for the benefit of specialists and the general public.Published by National Gallery Company in association with the Mauritshuis, The Hague, and Waanders Publishers, Zwolle/Distributed by Yale University PressExhibition Schedule:Mauritshuis(October 17, 2019–January 19, 2020)National Gallery, London(February 22–May 31, 2020)