'Esther before Ahasuerus' by Tintoretto

'Esther before Ahasuerus' (1547-48) by Tintoretto; Royal Collection, Windsor Castle

When you say Tintoretto, the great Italian painter who was born as Jacopo Comin on September 29, 1518, only his dark portraits come to mind and I feel like an art illiterate that I can't really tell you what his great paintings are or what he is known for. Tintoretto was one of the most important painters of the Italian Late Renaissance. His nickname 'Il Tintoretto' means 'the little dyer' and derives from his father's profession of dyer. He is usually described as a Mannerist painter and initally being inspired by the work of Michelangelo, he became increasingly concerned with the maximum use of chiaroscuro. He is said to have briefly studied with Titian but a mutual dislike caused an animosity between them that lasted throughout their careers. Unlike Titian, Tintoretto spent almost all of his life in Venice where his work is still to be seen in churches or other buildings. After Titian's death in 1576, he was one of the leading artists of Venice, together with Paolo Veronese. He was most productive between 1564 and his death in 1594. His most famous works are the pictorial decorations he made for the rooms of La Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice (click here to see one of the paintings on the ceiling, and to see more, click here). Also the four paintings he did for the Scuola Grande di San Marco (his St. Mark paintings) are considered to be masterpieces, click here. The painting I chose for today is a religious one of 'Esther before Ahasuerus', painted at a time that Tintoretto's career was about to take off. The artwork illustrates the Old Testament story of the Jewish heroine Esther who appears, unbidden, before the King Ahasuerus and pleads for her people, breaking court etiquette and risking her life. She had fasted for three days to prepare herself and faints in his presence. She gets her wish granted. I like this painting because of the story and the beautiful depiction and colours. And I love doing this blog because now I know more about the great Tintoretto and will never forget what he is known for.

Joseph Wright of Derby and An Experiment on a Bird in an Air Pump

'An Experiment on a Bird in an Air Pump' (1768) by Joseph Wright of Derby; National Gallery, London

Today's painting has always captivated me, not in the least because I could never remember its title nor its painter. Just the image of a dark painting with lots of people in it and something to do with a bird stuck to mind. Well, the artist is Joseph Wright of Derby, born on 3 September 1734, and he made today's choice easy. Wright was known for his use of chiaroscuro and for his paintings of candlelit subjects. He was trained as a portrait painter by Thomas Hudson. He was in close contact with members of the Lunar Society, an informal learned society of prominent figures in the Midlands consisting of industrialists, intellectuals and natural philosophers. Many of Wright's paintings were inspired by Lunar Society gatherings. Wikipedia dedicates an entire page on today's painting (click here). It's a depiction of a group of people observing an experiment in which a bird is deprived of air. Everybody reacts differently but their concern for the bird's well-being is surpassed by their scientific curiosity. I think it's a fascinating work of art because of its subject choice and use of dramatic light.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio and Magdalene

Due to my stay and volunteer work in Peru for most of June and July, I won't have time to write but I will continue to post a painting a day. I may add text upon returning to Amsterdam. I hope you will still visit to see the daily painting. 

Gerard van Honthorst and The Matchmaker

'The Matchmaker' (1625) by Gerard van Honthorst; Centraal Museum, Utrecht

When I think of Dutch painter Gerard van Honthorst, born on 4 November 1592 and died on 27 April 1656, his painting 'The Matchmaker' immediately comes to mind. I've seen this in real life at the Centraal Museum in Utrecht where it is on permanent display and I think it is beautiful. It is evident that Van Honthorst was greatly influenced by the art of Caravaggio. He had gone to Italy in 1616 and upon returning to The Netherlands around 1620, he set up a school of Dutch artists who used the chiaroscuro style of Caravaggio. The group became known as the Dutch Caravaggisti, mainly active in the city of Utrecht. In this painting, the lute is symbol for the woman's sexual organ and unchastity. The man holds a purse with money in his left hand and is willing to pay. The girl offers to play the lute, or is she offering something else? Many Dutch paintings in the 17th century depict the lute which refers to prostitution. Despite the sexual connotation in this painting, I have always found it an uplifting scene. The girl looks so cheerful and the dramatic use of artificial light is simply beautiful.

Edit on 11.09.2025: I mistakenly used the word 'flute' instead of 'lute' and someone in the comments drew my attention to this. Thank you! I only now saw the comment and fixed the mistake.

Petrus van Schendel and A Moonlit Vegetable Market

'A Moonlit Vegetable Market' (no date found) by Petrus van Schendel; Private Collection

If you google Dutch-Belgian artist Petrus van Schendel, born on 21 April 1806, it is immediately evident what he is known for. Van Schendel was influenced by 17th-century Dutch painting and specialised in candlelit genre scenes, of interiors or night markets, in the tradition of Gerard Dou. I like the chiaroscuro effect that his paintings have. Wikipedia doesn't have an English page on this artist but if you read Dutch, then here's the link. In France, Van Schendel was nicknamed 'Monsieur Chandelle' because of his candlelit scenes. 

Georges de La Tour and Magdalene of Night Light

'Magdalene of Night Light' (between 1640 and 1645) by Georges de La Tour; Musée du Louvre, Paris

I visited Museo del Prado in Madrid in May 2009 (click here) and saw this painting of Georges de La Tour (born on March 13, 1593, and died on January 30, 1652), on loan from Musée du Louvre. The light in this painting is absolutely beautiful. It's clear that this is an example of Chiaroscuro and that La Tour was influenced by Caravaggio and the Dutch Caravaggisti. He became well known for the use of candlelight in his paintings. Apparently La Tour painted four different representations of the repentant Magdalene. This is the one that I saw in Madrid. It looks very much like Magdalene with the Smoking Flame, the first one in the series. You can tell the two paintings apart by looking at the flame: in this painting it's not smoky but clear. I think I like the one with the smoking flame better. I understand there is symbolic meaning to this painting and that the skull represents death, but I find this particular object a bit disturbing since the rest of the painting and the delicate Magdalene seem so peaceful.

José de Ribera and the Apostle San Andrés (St. Andrew)

'St. Andrew Apostle' (San Andrés) (1630) by José de Ribera; Museo del Prado, Madrid

A couple of years ago I visited Museo del Prado in Madrid for the first time and absolutely loved it. They have several paintings on display by the Spanish artist José de Ribera, born on 12 January 1591, and I was particularly impressed by the paintings that showed his apparent knowledge of anatomy. The painting that I chose for this post is a great example of Tenebrism. This is the style of painting used by Caravaggio. I know it as Chiaroscuro, extreme contrasts of light and dark to heighten dramatic effect. Ribera was a Tenebrist artist. I can't help but marvel at this anatomical study. What a piece of craftmanship!