THE ARTIST Herman Saftleven the Younger (1609-1685) Dutch Artist of the Baroque Period
WHERE IN THE WORLD? Netherlands
When looking at art around the world, it is easy to imagine that countries were isolated and that citizens of each country developed a unique look in their art. This can be true for a few cultures, but surprisingly, countries that are vastly separate from each other developed connections by land and by sea. A land route connecting the far Eastern countries of China and India to Western countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea was used for over 17 centuries with only occasional periods of isolation. It was called the Silk Road. The road connected many early Persian routes and eventually led all the way to China. Nations exchanged goods. Caravans of wool carpets, blankets, glass, gold, and silver traveled eastward. Silk, sugar, and spices traveled westward. This exchange of goods naturally resulted in an exchange of ideas between nations as well. Artistic ideas were shared among nations. In the 15th century the Turkish Empire stopped trade along this land route. European nations looked to the sea for new routes so that trade could resume. The search for better sea routes to India and China led to the discovery of the American continents. By the 17th century the Dutch East India Company opened trade again with the East using routes by sea. Two or three fleets traveled each year on an eight-month journey from the Netherlands to the East Indies. For two hundred and fifty years the Dutch were the only nation allowed to trade with the completely isolated Japanese culture. The success of this shipping company made the Dutch Republic world leaders in sales of products and goods.
During his lifetime, Herman Saftleven was one of Holland’s most popular artists. It was a huge accomplishment to be among the best in an age where so many artists sold and traded their art all around the world through the shipping services of the Dutch East India Company. Herman Saftleven painted mountain landscapes near the Rhine River. He was born into a family of painters. His father was a painter in Rotterdam. His brothers were also painters. He painted in the medieval city of Utrecht and became the dean of the Guild of St. Luke. Herman was known for his depictions of people traveling through the woods and wooded landscapes with rivers. These scenes represent the Dutch landscape as he saw it. In the 1670’s a storm destroyed most of the town of Utrecht. Herman had previouslymade a series of drawings of Utrecht churches. After the storm, he sold the drawings to the city to be used for the practical purpose of reconstructing the buildings. Most animals won’t cooperate with you as you draw them. Standing still just isn’t in their natures. For that reason, it is a common practice among artists to work from photographs of animals. Draw an animal from a photograph. Look at edges and draw lines that describe those edges as shown in The Dog by Saftleven.
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