In the Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace an exhibition of Flemish paintings from the collection of the British monarchs named

«From Bruegel to Rubens: masters of Flemish painting» - this is an exhibition which is taking place now in the Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace. The exhibition presents over 50 paintings from the collection of British monarchs, the artists XV - XVII centuries Memlingom Hans (Hans Memling), Pieter Bruegel the senior (Pieter Bruegel de Oude), Jan Bruegel (Jan Brueghel), Antonis van Dyck (Van Dyck), Peter -Paul Rubens (Rubens) and other masters.

During this period, the largest art and cultural center of Flanders was Antwerp. In this city lived most middle-class, here are made high quality products, and here it works the best artists in Europe. Flemish portraits of the XVI century were of high technology and amazing realism. Painters have sought to enhance the interaction between the viewer and the model shown in the picture, and for this purpose they used a variety of visual effects. Thus, the man depicted in a portrait painted by Hans Memlinga like enters into the surrounding space. The picture with the boy at the window, written by unknown author, you can probably call the most striking example of an optical illusion: it seems that the child is separated from the spectator only glass.

For the art of that time was characterized by another feature: often artists, referring to the ancient and biblical subjects, enrobe characters in modern dress, or place them in a modern environment. For example, Pieter Bruegel the senior brings his «Childermas» in the Flemish village of recorded snow. Local residents, he portrays the role of infants and their families, as their persecutor and murderer - is contributing Habsburg Empire.

In the middle of the XVI century, Flemish artists were considered to be the best landscape. Then, a type of idealistic panoramic landscape, first appeared in the works of Pieter Bruegel, and later became the backdrop for paintings by a variety of subjects - from genre scenes to Biblical. In the exhibition includes three beautiful landscapes of Rubens, the painter who wrote for their own pleasure and hanged at his home in Antwerp.

According to the traditions of that time, many Flemish artists travelers in Rome, sometimes quite long. Therefore, at the exhibition you can see the whole group of paintings of religious subjects, executed in the spirit of the Italian Renaissance, under the strong influence of ancient traditions. Among them, «The Ascension of Our Lady» Rubens and «Christ Healing Paralysis» Brushes Van Dyck.

It is very interesting for visitors to the impressive portraits of the Van Dyck and Rubens, written during the rule of Archduke Albert and his wife Isabella.

exhibition at Buckingham Palace last until April 29, 2009.

material produced Catherine Onuchin

Sources: artdaily.com , royalcollection.org.uk , artinvestment.ru