Dutch painter and engraver, Bartholomeus van der Geest
Hello all steemians friends...!
Today I want to talk about the great Dutch painter Bartolomeus van der Helst, best known for his portrait work.
This artist was born in 1613 in the city of Haarlem. His father is the innkeeper. At the age of 23, Bartolome married and moved to Amsterdam, where he stayed until the end of his life.
Little is known about Gelst's art education. Some critics argue that the first lesson of the painting of a lesser known artist he received in his hometown, but this information is not officially confirmed. It is believed that in Amsterdam his teacher is Nicholas Elias Pikenoy. Carefully considering the style of the painter's letter, one can also conclude that the artist learned and often used the Rembrandt and Frans Hals techniques.
The first glory of Bartholomew won at age 24, when he painted four members of Walloon's guard board. Since then, he began to appear more and more orders. Among the main customers is the high level know. Most often they are attracted to pictures of celebrations, important events and their own portraits: both singles and groups.
This is one of Gelst's greatest works. Here he describes 25 people almost all-round. Each of them contributed significantly to the formation of Dutch independence and the achievement of peace. In their costumes, you can carefully consider the smallest detail. What is also interesting is that some characters look much larger than others. Most likely, so artists want to reflect their significance and position in society. Gelts accurately photographed descendants not just what their ancestors looked like, but also how the tables were presented at the time, that they presented them.
During the 1640s. the painter became the leading painter in Amsterdam. For a time, his creation was more publicly favored than his beloved Rembrandt. Gelst accurately reproduces the material reliability of various things, the ease of pose and gestures that are portrayed. At the same time he even embroidered a bit, so the whole composition seemed perfect.
It should be noted that the artist did not just write portraits. In his collection, you can also find a large number of paintings with historical, biblical and mythological subjects.
At the age of 41, the artist, along with like-minded people, founded the St. guild. Luke. Surrounded by honor and getting good results, he does not need anything for the rest of his life. Gelst became a teacher and mentor to many artists at the time. His new writing style was studied even by Rembrandt's students. However, one's creativity from his immediate students, including his son, attracts much attention to his offspring.
The painter died in 1670, forever leaving a bright mark in fine arts.
Image source: [1](https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Bartholomeus_van_der_Helst) , [2](https://artchive.ru/artists/318~Bartolomeus_van_der_Gelst/works)
Additional sources and links on the topic:
[Bartholomeus van der Geist,
Dutch painters of the 15th and 18th centuries](http://nevsepic.com.ua/arti-i-risovanaya-grafika/12836-niderlandskie-zhivopiscy-15-18-vekov.-ch.22-55-rabot .html)