Maerten van Heemskerck

Self-portrait detail from his painting of the Colosseum

Years of life:	1498 – 1574
Artist's Teachers:	Cornelius Willemsz, Jan van Scorel
Art Movement:	Mannerism (Late Renaissance)

Genre:	Portrait , Religious , Mythology
Country:	Netherlands
Century:	XVI

At one time he was Haarlem’s leading artist. He created portraits, altarpieces on mythological subjects. A trip to Rome in 1532-1536 totally transformed his works. Note the classical profiles of the portrait subjects; the muscular, Michelangelo-inspired figures; the emotional (but unrealistically depicted) faces, gestures, and vivid colors (hot reds, strong pinks, turquoise blue). He adopted Italian idealization rather than to Northern realism.

Maerten van Heemskerck’s major works are The Crucifixion, c. 1530 (Detroit Institute of Arts); Portrait of a Lady with a Spindle and Distaff, c. 1531 (Madrid: Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza)ю

References:

Robert Cumming. Art: complete encyclopedia. – 512 p. – Moscow: Astrel, 2005.

Artworks:

Momos Reproaches the Works of the Gods

1561

Momos Reproaches the Works of the Gods • 1561
The Fall of Man

1530

The Fall of Man • 1530
Adam and Eve

1550

Adam and Eve • 1550
The Erythraean Sibyl

1564

The Erythraean Sibyl • 1564
Saint Lucas painting the Virgin with Child

1545

Saint Lucas painting the Virgin with Child • 1545
Pieter Jan Foppesz. and his family, detail

1530

Pieter Jan Foppesz. and his family, detail • 1530
Portrait of a Man

1529

Portrait of a Man • 1529
Christ Crowned with Thorns

1550

Christ Crowned with Thorns • 1550
Portrait of Reinerus Frisius Gemma

1540-1545

Portrait of Reinerus Frisius Gemma • 1540-1545
Pieter Jan Foppesz. and his family

1530

Pieter Jan Foppesz. and his family • 1530
Portrait of a Woman

1529

Portrait of a Woman • 1529
Portrait of a Woman

1540-1545

Portrait of a Woman • 1540-1545
The lamentation over the dead Christ

1540-1543

The lamentation over the dead Christ • 1540-1543
The Annunciation

1546-1547

The Annunciation • 1546-1547
The triumph of Bacchus

1536-1537

The triumph of Bacchus • 1536-1537
Self-portrait

1553

Self-portrait • 1553
The Entombment

1559-1560

The Entombment • 1559-1560
Portrait of a lady spinning

1529-1530

Portrait of a lady spinning • 1529-1530
Saint Lucas painting the Virgin with Child

1532

Saint Lucas painting the Virgin with Child • 1532
Venus and Cupid

1545

Venus and Cupid • 1545