Pieter Claesz (c. 1597 – 1 January 1660) was a

Dutch Golden Age painter Dutch Golden Age painting is the painting of the Dutch Golden Age, a period in Dutch history roughly spanning the 17th century, during and after the later part of the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648) for Dutch independence. The new Dutch Republi ...

of still lifes.

Biography

Vanitasstilleven met de Doornuittrekker Rijksmuseum SK-A-3930

He was born in Berchem,

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

, 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 Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem (1 October 1620 – 18 February 1683) was a highly esteemed and prolific Dutch Golden Age painter of pastoral landscapes, populated with mythological or biblical figures, but also of a number of allegories and genre ...

was born (October 1).Pieter Claesz entry
in the

RKD The Netherlands Institute for Art History or RKD (Dutch: RKD-Nederlands Instituut voor Kunstgeschiedenis), previously Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (RKD), is located in The Hague and is home to the largest art history center i ...

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 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'.

Legacy

Claesz is registered in the

Haarlem Guild of St. Luke The Haarlem Guild of Saint Luke was first a Christian, and later a city Guild for various trades falling under the patron saints Luke the Evangelist and Saint Eligius. History During the lifetime of Geertgen tot Sint Jans, there was probably a ...

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. Claesz had, in addition to his son, the pupils Evert van Aelst, Floris van Dyck, Christian Berentz, Floris van Schooten, and Jan Jansz Treck. File:Pieter Claesz. - Stilleven met kalkoenpastei - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Still Life with Turkey Pie'', oil on panel, 1627 File:Claesz., Pieter - Still Life with Musical Instruments - 1623.jpg, ''Still Life with Musical Instruments'', by Pieter Claesz. 1623. File:Pieter Claesz. - Stilleven.jpg, ''Still Life with Römer, Silver Tazza and Bread Roll''. Prado Museum, Madrid. File:Pieter CLAESZ. - A still life with a roemer, a crab and a peeled lemon - Google Art Project.jpg, A still life with a roemer, a crab and a peeled lemon File:Pieter Claesz - Still Life with Fruit and Roemer - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Still Life with fruit, bread and roemer''

References

*National Gallery of Art

External links

Pieter Claesz
at PubHist {{DEFAULTSORT:Claesz, Pieter 1590s births 1660 deaths Flemish still life painters 17th-century Flemish painters Dutch Golden Age painters Dutch male painters People from Berchem Artists from Haarlem Dutch still life painters Painters from Antwerp Painters from Haarlem