The panels superbly display the qualities that characterize this school of painting, including the three-dimensionality of the figures, illusionistically rendered materials, naturalism in depicting plants, and the individualized faces of the saints, which evoke emotions and empathy. — Greta Koppel (Kadrioru Kunstimuuseum, Eesti Kunstimuuseum, Tallinn)
The natural scientist Maria Sybilla Merian sailed to Suriname in 1699 for an extensive study trip. Her delicate drawings remain a feast for the eye, inspiring scholars and the general public alike.
—Hanna Klarenbeek (Paleis Het Loo, Apeldoorn)
Maria Sibylla Merian
The Royal Collection Trust, Windsor Castle, London
This special beaker was probably made in the Southern Netherlands at the order of the Burgundian court. Only a few objects with such grisaille paintings have survived. This beaker is one of the finest examples of early enamel painting.
One of the most renowned female painters in seventeenth-century Holland, Judith Leyster, possessed a distinct artistic personality. In The Young Flute Player, it is as if Leyster wants us to hear the music.
— Lawrence W. Nichols (Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, OH)
With his downcast eyes, the little Rubens has an air of seriousness that seems to belie his youth. Yet his button nose, rosebud lips and rosy cheeks remind us that he is just a baby. — Alexandra Libby (National Gallery of Art, Washington DC)