Art in Brunant

Art in Brunant spans over one thousand years. Definitive Brunanter art began in the late 17th century and has evolved since, with domestic movements or also following European trends.

Renaissance art
Renaissance art was widepsread in Brunant from the late 15th century to the 1610s. Most Brunanter art of this period had heavy Italian influences and it was known as the "Latin Style".

The "founder" of the Brunanter renaissance was Wilhelmus Veldsteen, though the most famous painter of this era was Rickard Helsenberg (c.1480-1544). Born in Grijzestad, he traveled through central Europe and painted many people there. His best-known work is The Burgundian Bride, which is considered one of the finest Brunanter painter of all time. Other painters of this era include Augustus van Barneveld and Martin Viergens.''

The Renaissance era of art continued until the early 17th century, with Johannes Keep (1520-1602) and Claus Vanderote (d. 1611) being among the last painters in this style.

17th century art
Art in the 17th century was greatly influenced by Dutch artists like Vermeer and Rembrandt. Many of the paintings of this era focused on everyday scenes in the home or kitchen. This movement was known as the "Nordic Style" (as opposed to the Latin Style), since it was influenced by northern European art.

The start of this "preclassical era" is said to begin with Carels Van Laesburg (1633-1702). His work was mostly on everyday life and tended to incrporate reds and browns. Antonius Hasselman (1640-1711) was a well-known contemporary and rival of V. Laesburg; both competed for the king's patronage but ultimately Van Draak chose Hasselman to pain his family portraits. Jan Van Hartsboch (c. 1655-1732) was a later painter of the preclassicals and focused of landscapes. A deep analysis of Van Hartsboch's work, letters and other references led to the conclusion that he was in fact a womain using a pen name, as it was easier for men's work to be sold and accepted.

Brunanter Golden Age
The Brunanter Golden Age, also known as the classical era, (1690-c.1730) is often considered by art connoisseurs to be the the defining moment when Brunanter art took shape. The most prominent artist during this era was Johannes Neyt the Younger (1661-1724). He was a famed landscape painter who, although lived in poverty in his lifetime is now well known. Much of his work has been lost over the years, and his work can command upwards of €80,000. Other painters who followed in his style were Jan van Helsinger (1672-1743), Andreus Ricard (1688-1851) and Blomefont van Stein (1679-1730), who's early work was heavily based on Neyt's style. Art during this time consisted of abstract-like painting (somewhat similar to impressionism), where objects, landscapes and backgrounds were not clearly painted and often were just blended together. Art critics of the age called them the "indefinites", due to not clearly defining landscapes and background. Notable works from this era include Death on the land (Neyt, 1698), The Resilient Patriot (1707) and Blomefont van Stein's Roodstad Farmhouse (1727).

Neoclassical art
The Neoclassical era (c.1815-1850) was a movement reminiscent of the Golden age of 70 years previous. It was obviously influenced by old masters like Blomefont van Stein and Neyt the Younger, but also from outside artists like J.M.W. Turner.

The earliest Neoclassical painter (often considered the founder of the movement) was Michael Emmett Springfield (1777-1845); he utilized the principles of the old masters but to greater extremes. If one takes his White Horse (1839), one can see some influences, but the background is much more abstract and the foreground image (the horse) is very well defined, giving a sharper contrast. Antonius Niesterfeld (1783-1854) became one of the more famous painters of this era; his Sinking ship at the foot of a wave, painted in 1829, was only sold by him for Th. 650, but in a 2003 Sotheby's auction it realized €185,000. Other notable painters include Matthew Browning, Anthony Welland and Matthias van der Velt. Some later neoclassical art (such as Old Castle in the Countryside) tended to have some influnece frm the contemporary academics movements. Other work, like that of Eugenio Cavall was still utilizing lots of abstract design.

Academics
The Academics (1820-1860) was an art movement seen as a response to the neoclassicals. The paintings from this era were dramatic, detailed and "real". They often employed dark colors, shadows and small areas of light to give an impression of sheerness and magnitude.

Hans Rotmensen is considered the main exponent from this age. Two of his best-known works, The destruction of war (1826) and Carrington Leading the Charge (1820-22) are large works with lots of figures, details and a sense of magnitude unseen with the classicals/neoclassicals. Other notable painters form this era include portraitist Pierre-Jules Chapron (1782-1861) and Michael Edward Winters (1798-1824), who tragically died young while his career was blossoming.

Impressionism
Impressionism caught on in Brunant in the 1860s just as the academics began to wane. Impressionist art was initially heavily influenced by other European, and especially French painters. Later artwork such as Mrs. Wilmer's garden (1892) featured a more Brunanter style, with bright colors and designs.

Early artists include Carles Mannon (1833-1907), Johan Van Rijnsen (1829-180) and Edward Eldridge (1837-1912). A prominent painter from the later era was Eugenia Villes (1856-1928), who painted rich countryside landscapes from 1891-1905.

Fauvism/Postimpressionism
The post-impressionist era (1895-c.1910) was influenced partly by Matisse and the Fauvists in France, and also by an extension of Edward Eldridge's later art. Brunanter postimpressionists were moved by color and as the years passed their work became more vivid and bright.

Marie Durand (1873-1966) was an important post-impressionist active until the early 1910s. Stefan Malphy (1880-1955) was also a major painter of this era. Other notable painters were Herman De Witte and Hans van der Lose (Down the River).

Expressionist movement
The expressionist era began around 1905-10 and was influenced by the corresponding movement in other European countries. Early expressionist art was seen as an extension (or evolution) of post-impressionism. Later works like Mathisen's Young Girl at a Table and Janzoon's The artist and his wife (both 1920) were more abstract and featured patterns and less graspable scenes.

Stefan Malphy was notable for his expressionist works, as was longtime partner Cara Solby (1892-1974). Native Charles Towner Erin Lake (1887-1956) became known for her landscapes and mountain scenes.

Cubism
Cubism took hold in Brunant during the post-World War I period. Influenced by Picasso, Braque and Juan Gris it developed over 20 years in Brunant.

The artist most associated with Brunanter cubism is is Caroman (1898-1944). Born Adrián Caroman, he became known for his master portraits. Though he was not the first cubist in Brunant, he was certainly the most well known of them all, commanding hefty sums for his work in the late 20s and 1930s. Other notable artists were William Favard (1886-1970), known for his landscapes and Abraham Hillard (1891-1965), who was one of the "revolutionaries" in this movement.

Cubism in Brunant continued until the mid-1930s and was considered "dead" by the onset of the Second World War.

Realist Art
Following World War II, many painters in Brunant began to paint what they saw, a nation in ruin, the destruction and the hope to rebuild it. This movement was known as realism or neo-academy. Similar to the Academics of the mid-19th century, the realists used detail to effect, and also aimed at capturing their sheerness.

Harold Ripley (1921-197) was a notable artist in this style, who captured every detail to bring an intensity to the artwork. His works (in the pre-1952 period) focused on wartorn scenes, grieving women and the pains of the nation. Other artists working in this genre were Andrew Miller and Adam van der Berg.

Pop art
Pop art in Brunant arose in the mid 1950s ase a response to the perceived "blandness" of realist art and a desire to move on from the war.

There was no defining or dominant artist during this era. Gabriel Blanchard was a well-known artist of the age, who experimented with various art styles. Other artists include Louise Hening and Piet Wasser. Pop art entered a second wave in the early 1980s, as so-called neo-pop, and found a resurgence in the late 1990s.

Minimalism
Minimalist art took hold in Brunant in the late 1950s following European trends. In Brunant it became known for having dominant colors or tones and using simple shapes.

The earliest minimalist in Brunant was Jan Bertha (born 1924), who by 1957 was painting simple abstract works. Marie Christine Weissmann (1908-1996, wife of Michael Vandelet) was involved in the early stages of minimalism but later expanded the field to sculpture. While Bertha is considered the founded of Brunanter minimalism, Nathan Harding (born 1937) can be said to have popularized the genre in the early 1960s. Minimalism went out of popularity in the late 1970s and 1980s, but in the 2000s has rebounded in popularity.

Linear movement
The Linear movement was contemporary to, and often considered a subset of 1960s Minimalism. This type of art was mainly centered on the use of bands, stripes and colorful lines. Some even used distorted lines for greater effect.

The father of Linear Art was Michael Vandelet (1903-1974), who moved away from the flowing abstractism of the 1950s through the use of lines. Other notable artists of the era were Susan Bolton and Ernest Lantham.

The Linear movement can be said to have died out in 1977-1980. After Vandelet's death there would be little interest. But, there have been some neo-linears who have begun appearing since the late 1990s.