Friends went with Dan and I to see this exhibit at the National Gallery of Art in Washington on Thursday. It's a must see exhibition if you are anywhere near DC. Ends on January 21st.
Apparently in the Dutch Golden Age of genre painting (scenes from daily life) there was quite a bit of overlap among the artists of the time: Johannes Vermeer, Gerard ted Borch, Gerrit Dou, Frans van Mieris, and Gabriel Metsu. They often featured the same pose and daily activity.
Look at these paintings. Three different artists, very similar poses and activity.
And again with these three.
Were they trying to out do each other? Were they inspired by each other? Were they learning from each other?
There are almost seventy paintings in the exhibit from 1655 to 1680. All of them are lovely glimpses into Dutch life.
The detail in these paintings is incredible. Enjoy!
Did you notice all the dogs in the paintings?