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Merry Company (Van Honthorst)
''Merry Company'' is a 1622 oil on canvas painting by the Dutch artist Gerard van Honthorst. Set in a tavern, it is also known as ''The Prodigal Son'', ''The Return'' or ''Celebratory Party''. It is held in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. The merry company, showing a group of drinkers, was a common subject-type in Dutch Golden Age painting. History and description On 26 July 1620 the painter's return to Utrecht after about ten years in Italy was celebrated in the Utrecht tavern "Het Poortgen" at a welcome party attended by merchants, painters and copper engravers. It was extensively reported in the diary of lawyer, archaeologist and art dealer Aernout van Buchel. The painting may depict the gathering and the central figure in a blue shirt may be a self-portrait.Rose-Marie and Rainer Hagen, ''What Great Paintings Say'', Benedikt Taschen Verlag, Keulen, 1994. , p. 328. In October the same year Van Honthorst married the tavern owner's daughter, his distant cousin Sophia Coopman, who ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gerard Van Honthorst
Gerard van Honthorst (Dutch: ''Gerrit van Honthorst''; 4 November 1592 – 27 April 1656) was a Dutch Golden Age painting, Dutch Golden Age painter who became known for his depiction of artificially lit scenes, eventually receiving the nickname ''Gherardo delle Notti'' ("Gerard of the Nights"). Early in his career he visited Rome, where he had great success painting in a style influenced by Caravaggio. Following his return to the Netherlands he became a leading portrait painter. Van Honthorst's contemporaries included Utrecht painters Hendrick ter Brugghen, Hendrick Ter Brugghen and Dirck van Baburen. Early life Van Honthorst was born in Utrecht, the son of a decorative painter, and trained under his father, and then under Abraham Bloemaert.Brown (1997), p.62 Italy Having completed his education, Honthorst went to Italy, where he is first recorded in 1616. He was one of the artists from Utrecht who went to Rome at around this time, all of whom were to be deeply influen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
