»GOVERT FLINCK 4 October 2015 to 17 January 2016 REFLECTING Museum Kurhaus Kleve – Ewald Mataré-Collection, HISTORY« Kleve / Germany ork Y ew N ollection, C eiden L he T 1643, , Self-portrait , GOVERT FLINCK of Kloveniers’ civic guards in Amsterdam. Today’s most well- most Today’s Amsterdam. in guards civic Kloveniers’ of have survived. have into present-day modes of perception. of modes present-day into A portraits for the Great Hall of the Kloveniersdoelen, the seat seat the Kloveniersdoelen, the of Hall Great the for portraits the fi rst works by Flinck with his signature signature his with Flinck by works rst fi the 1636 in Starting fascinating still-lifes of Juan Sanchez Cotàn, translating them them translating Cotàn, Sanchez Juan of still-lifes fascinating mong other works, Govert Flinck painted two of seven group group seven of two painted Flinck Govert works, other mong missions is not known. not is missions structure of historical painting in previous projects, such as the the as such projects, previous in painting historical of structure Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Rijksmuseum teacher, or whether his teacher voluntarily let him have com- have him let voluntarily teacher his whether or teacher, years, has already critically engaged with the aesthetics and and aesthetics the with engaged critically already has years, Rembrandt as shepherd as Rembrandt 1636 , , FLINCK GOVERT painting. Whether Flinck took business away from his former former his from away business took Flinck Whether painting. The artist Ori Gersht, who has been living in London for many many for London in living been has who Gersht, Ori artist The MAIN WORKS WORKS MAIN Rembrandt’s competitors, especially in the area of portrait portrait of area the in especially competitors, Rembrandt’s the essence of artistic freedom, juxtaposing his own position to it. it. to position own his juxtaposing freedom, artistic of essence the G OV E RT F L I NC K : : K NC I L F RT E OV G Within a very short period, he advanced to become one of of one become to advanced he period, short very a Within the structures and characteristics of Flinck’s oeuvre with regard to to regard with oeuvre Flinck’s of characteristics and structures the Flinck began to distance himself from the work of his teacher. teacher. his of work the from himself distance to began Flinck . Gersht investigates investigates Gersht . 1967 in Aviv Tel in born was who Gersht, Ori , , 1640s mid- the In Rembrandt’s. from works his distinguish Precisely this is the starting-point for the Israeli video artist, artist, video Israeli the for starting-point the is this Precisely including also Govert Flinck. Govert also including to Houbraken, even contemporaries already found it diffi cult to to cult diffi it found already contemporaries even Houbraken, to his teacher, Rembrandt, did. did. Rembrandt, teacher, his veloped there that produced a large number of prominent painters, painters, prominent of number large a produced that there veloped tially his paintings were sold as works by Rembrandt. According According Rembrandt. by works as sold were paintings his tially of this genre, without however ever transgressing them — just as as just — them transgressing ever however without genre, this of the course of the seventeenth century, a noteworthy art scene de- scene art noteworthy a century, seventeenth the of course the Govert Flinck emulated his master’s style so well that ini- that well so style master’s his emulated Flinck Govert whose realization he fathomed in a masterly fashion the limits limits the fashion masterly a in fathomed he realization whose importance of Amsterdam in this period can be understood. In In understood. be can period this in Amsterdam of importance terdam society. society. terdam social circles, Flinck acquired extensive portrait commissions for for commissions portrait extensive acquired Flinck circles, social Flinck’s exceptionally creative work, the great attraction and and attraction great the work, creative exceptionally Flinck’s workshop. There Flinck began his career as a portraitist of Ams- of portraitist a as career his began Flinck There workshop. ciation and evaluation. Because of his networking within leading leading within networking his of Because evaluation. and ciation Not only through the biography, but also through Govert Govert through also but biography, the through only Not his position as the most prominent painter in the Uylenburgh Uylenburgh the in painter prominent most the as position his regarded as exemplary for changes in criteria of aesthetic appre- aesthetic of criteria in changes for exemplary as regarded of its success and wealth. wealth. and success its of D to work independently. Govert Flinck succeeded Rembrandt in in Rembrandt succeeded Flinck Govert independently. work to tation than Rembrandt himself. Insofar, his oeuvre can be be can oeuvre his Insofar, himself. Rembrandt than tation represent imposing evidence of the pride of a citizenry fully aware aware fully citizenry a of pride the of evidence imposing represent , Rembrandt left his studio studio his left Rembrandt , 1634 in niece) dealer’s art (the burgh uring his life-time, Govert Flinck enjoyed a grander repu- grander a enjoyed Flinck Govert life-time, his uring van Campen. Even today, the group portraits of the civic guards guards civic the of portraits group the today, Even Campen. van painters. Shortly after Rembrandt married Saskia van Uylen- van Saskia married Rembrandt after Shortly painters. gnifi cent buildings such as the new Town Hall designed by Jacob Jacob by designed Hall Town new the as such buildings cent gnifi Uylenburgh, an art dealer who employed a large number of of number large a employed who dealer art an Uylenburgh, FOR GOVERT FLINCK FLINCK GOVERT FOR important commercial city found its material expression in ma- in expression material its found city commercial important brandt for a year. Both painters worked in the studio of Hendrick Hendrick of studio the in worked painters Both year. a for brandt the absolute centre of Dutch baroque art. The heyday of the the of heyday The art. baroque Dutch of centre absolute the ORI GERSHT: PORTFOLIO PORTFOLIO GERSHT: ORI W , fi nally, Flinck was an apprentice to Rem- to apprentice an was Flinck nally, fi , 35 - 1634 Around third quarters of the seventeenth century, the city was was city the century, seventeenth the of quarters third survived. survived. hen Govert Flinck lived in Amsterdam in the second and and second the in Amsterdam in lived Flinck Govert hen although from this fi rst period of apprenticeship no works have have works no apprenticeship of period rst fi this from although s great renown. great s 1650 the in already acquired he school leaving Kleve. His early work still shows traces of his infl uence, uence, infl his of traces shows still work early His Kleve. leaving For his portraits and historical pieces inspired by the Flemish Flemish the by inspired pieces historical and portraits his For A RT RT A young Flinck became an apprentice to him in Leeuwarden, thus thus Leeuwarden, in him to apprentice an became Flinck young prevented him from fi nishing this illustrious commission. commission. illustrious this nishing fi from him prevented DUTCH BAROQUE BAROQUE DUTCH father Flinck that painting was a respectable profession and the the and profession respectable a was painting that Flinck father uprising of the Batavi against the Romans. Flinck’s early death death early Flinck’s Romans. the against Batavi the of uprising Lambert Jacobsz, delivered a sermon in Kleve. He convinced convinced He Kleve. in sermon a delivered Jacobsz, Lambert C E N T R E OF OF E R T N E C the lunettes in the gallery of this building with scenes from the the from scenes with building this of gallery the in lunettes the His attitude changed only when the preacher and painter, painter, and preacher the when only changed attitude His he was given the commission to paint also also paint to commission the given was he 1659 of end the At AMSTERDAM: AMSTERDAM: become an artist. artist. an become Solomon Asking God for Wisdom for God Asking Solomon was done for the council hall. hall. council the for done was — was against his son’s resolve to to resolve son’s his against was — 1637 and 1617 between Kleve counter with Melchisedek with counter , , 1658 In Caen). Beaux-Arts, des (Musée textile merchant who performed several public functions in in functions public several performed who merchant textile rich Wilhelm von Brandenburg. von Wilhelm rich Abraham’s En- Abraham’s incorruptibility, borrowing motifs from Rubens’ Rubens’ from motifs borrowing incorruptibility, biographer, Arnold Houbraken, his father, Theunis Flinck — a a — Flinck Theunis father, his Houbraken, Arnold biographer, Prince of Nassau-Siegen, but also Amalia van Solms and Fried- and Solms van Amalia also but Nassau-Siegen, of Prince smaller version to his home-town of Kleve, celebrates the virtue of of virtue the celebrates Kleve, of home-town his to version smaller T course on considering his biography. According to his fi rst rst fi his to According biography. his considering on course in or from German territory, fi rst and foremost, John Maurice, Maurice, John foremost, and rst fi territory, German from or in Refuses the Gifts of the Samnites the of Gifts the Refuses ), of which he donated a a donated he which of ), 1656 ( hat Govert Flinck became a painter was not a matter of of matter a not was painter a became Flinck Govert hat also cultivated contacts with important individual nobles active active nobles individual important with contacts cultivated also Marcus Curtius Dentatus Dentatus Curtius Marcus the most successful applicant. His His applicant.