The title of the above painting is "Merry Company," and the painter is Gerard van Honthorst. Honthorst used variations of that title a number of times, and it does appear to be a strong theme for him. The patrons at the table appear to have overindulged somewhat, and it makes one wonder what the popular hangover remedies in seventeenth century Holland were. Still, it's a friendly gathering, not a debauched one.
Note the balance of chiaroscuro with splashes of color. He knew how to make light his friend.
2 comments:
Looks like a good party, doesn't it? The light and the splashes of color combine to make this a very beautiful painting. You're right too about his portrayal of the characters' rapturous delight in their wine and each other's company. That he was an admirer of Caravaggio is evident but his subjects look far happier (another unfortunately early demise, btw).
I often see more of the actual people in these portraits
and groupings than is usual in modern photographs.
You're right that there's an evident Caravaggio influence, as far as the color and controlled use of light go. Of course Caravaggio tended to be more somber. How much of that was his subject matter I don't know. In terms of mortality artist seems to have been a hazardous profession back then. Maybe it always was.
Ideas of cropping have gained much more foothold in the picture-making fields. This has something to do with the rise of photography I'm sure. What I don't know is when the change started and who the counter-revolutionaries were.
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