The Fish Still Life1-Frans Snyders

One of the more distinct genres encompassed in Still Life painting is the Fish Still Life. Apparently, its origins lie in the "pronk" or "table pieces" of the late 16th and 17th century where Dutch and Flemish artists executed themed still life paintings for their wealthy patrons. One of the first and certainly one of the most gifted of these painters was Frans Snyders (1579 - 1657). Snyders was born and died at Antwerp. He is recorded as a student of Pieter Brueghel the Younger in 1593 and subsequently received instruction from Hendrick van Balen, the first master of Van Dyck. He was a friend of Van Dyck who painted Snyders and his wife more than once, Snyders initially devoted himself to painting flowers, fruit and subjects of still life, but later turned to painting animals, and executed with the greatest skill and spirit hunting pieces and combats of wild animals. His composition is rich and varied, his drawing correct and vigorous, his touch bold and thoroughly expressive of the different textures of furs and skins. His excellence in this department excited the admiration of Rubens, who frequently employed him to paint animals, fruit and still life in his own pictures, and he assisted Jacob Jordaens, Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert and other artists in a similar manner.With an amazingly sympathetic and discerning eye, Snyders masterfully captures the nuance of light as it passes over the varied colors and textures. The fish glisten in the theatrical light of the studio. There is also a self-conscious delight the artist takes in the way paint can mimic the effects of light on the objects, most evident in the contrasts between the textured impastos and smooth silky brushwork.

Winter Light

This winter scene illustrates the concept of how darkening the sky value or "pitch" can strengthen the appearance of light on snow. It also serves as a great contrast foil against which the painter can place the tracery of branches and limbs illuminated by winter light. Emile Gruppe and his sympatico artist friend Carl Peters were experts at this technique.

Winter on the Hudson

Here's little watercolor and gouche painting I did en plein aire at Clermont, the site of Livingston Manor, one of the grand old mansions from the 18th century which line the banks of the Hudson River. It was quite cold that day and I was the only person around, although I couldn't resist putting a person in close to the nexus point( Euclid's "Eye of God") which lies at the golden mean spiral origin. Sepia, Chinese White on Canson Moonstone.

Hudson Sunset

This painting was an exercise in color from a sketch I made at the Vanderbilt estate along the banks of the Hudson in Hyde Park New York. I tried to keep the pitch down using fully saturated color so that the sun would have sufficient contrast- much the way one would pitch the sky in a snow scene lower in value in order to make the snow appear bright. The foreground trees are silhouetted in dark values to establish the vignette and range of tone. I alternated cool and warm reds in the clouds to distinquish between the sky vortex (light filled air) and the cooler cloud shapes. In the sky zenith(top of the vault), I substituted a thalo green-viridian mixture without any blue to push the color contrasts between the red and greens. I suspect this kind of color layering and emphasis is what Rothko was exploring in his "landscapes".

Fish Still Life

A fishmarket scene. A fishmonger at the Fulton Street market in Manhattan allowed me to set up a still life in the refrigerated room of his stall. These fish were swimming the day before and had an amazing vitality and color. The old style wooden crates added to the rusticness of the scene. I was again inspired by the painterly fish still life interiors of Frans Snyders and Philipe Rousseau.

Boston Mackeral

Another fish still life. I love the glistening color on the mackeral-very prismatic. The delight in light, texture, and color which are encapsulated in fish still life painting are all fully realized in the painting of Frans Snyders, Antoine Vollon, William Merritt Chase, Charles Hawthorne, Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin , Victor Gilbert, and Philipe Rousseau.

The Hungry Cat

A still Life of fish and a mysterious cat that I painted a while back.