Frans Snyders. Innovator in the field of still life

Frans Sneijder created when the sensual Baroque style flourished in Europe. This style appeared not accidentally. First, Europe actively refused asceticism imposed by the Middle Ages, and secondly, scientific ideas about the world as a space of being changed. Painting burst into the spirit of freedom.

Biography

Frans Snyders was born in 1579 in Antwerp. His parents kept a tavern, which was famous for its delicious food and good wine among artists. About the childhood and young years of information is almost not preserved. We know that he had five brothers and sisters. One of the brothers, Michel, was also an artist. But his work did not become popular. It is known that he was in 1592-1593. Studied painting under the direction of Peter Bruegel the Younger. Then he joined the guild of St. Luke, which united all artists, as in these days the Academy of Arts is engaged in this. Frans Snyders lived and studied for seven years in Italy. First he lived in Rome. Then, on the recommendation of Jan Brueghel the Elder turned to the famous collector, Cardinal Borromeo, in Milan. Bruegel asked permission to make a copy of the picture of Titian. Therefore, we can assume that Frans Snyders was already a very experienced artist, before turning his attention to still lifes.

Returning to his homeland, enriched with knowledge, he married the artist's sister Cornelis de Vos Margarete in the spring of 1609.

Since 1610, active cooperation with Rubens begins. The frequent customer and patron of Snyders was the Bishop of Ghent. The works of Sneijder were in demand. On his earnings he was able to buy a house in Antwerp. And the authority among artists was that in 1628 he became dean of the Guild of St. Luke. He had many students. After the death of Peter Paul Rubens, Sneijder was given the opportunity to act as one of the evaluators of the heritage of the great artist. In 1647 the painter was widowed. He had no children. Sam Snyders died in 1657 and bequeathed his fortune to his sister. This is all that is pretty scarce about an artist like France Snyders. Biography does not have full-fledged sources.

Still lifes of the artist

Initially, the artist is not without influence, as it is believed, Caravaggio drew attention to the image of flowers, vegetables and fruits. His compositions are extremely diverse, and the coloristics are simply beautiful. Still life with a monkey, a parrot and a dog that are next to a table that just bursts with abundance of fruits and fruits, berries, meat and sea delicacies. The red color is not dominant, but makes the composition very decorative in contrast to the white drapery and the dog. The brown tablecloth, carelessly falling from the table, perfectly harmonizes with the gold of lemons, with their whimsically wriggling skin and the color of violins. The composition is very complicated, but it fits into the traditional triangle, which animals create.

Still life with fruits, vegetables, monkey, squirrel and cat

On the table, covered with a scarlet tablecloth, animals are in charge. In a basket filled with grapes, peaches, plum, a squirrel is running. The monkey, who started the paw in the basket, looks around and hisses at the stealing cat. And he aimed at the reclining rabbit and pheasants, which are casually thrown next to leeks and artichokes. Snyders was the first artist who made heroes of his still lifes exclusively living animals.

In the kitchen

In still lifes of Frans Snyders, a man is rarely included. But here the artist painted a kitchen table, littered with untreated game, and a cook with a large knife, which is about to start cutting it. Game is shown as hunting trophies, which, perhaps, are not intended for cooking, but only for filling pies. Immediately next to a cunning cat, who has already grabbed a bird and tries to pull it.

Hunting for a wild boar

Again, the primacy in the image of hunting belongs to Snyders. This very bright scene of lively hunting and fierce battle of dogs and the wild boar they cast. His animalistic works greatly influenced contemporaries and subsequent generations of artists.

An innovator in the field of still life and animalism was the painter Frans Snyders. The description of pictures can be continued for a long time.

In the XV-XVI century the art of baroque developed in different directions. In the Netherlands, his vivid representative was France Snyders.