Willem Claeszoon Heda
Encyclopedia
Willem Claeszoon Heda was one of the earliest Dutch Golden Age
artists devoted exclusively to the painting of still life
s.
Heda was born in Haarlem
,
the son of the Haarlem city architect Claes Pietersz. His mother Anna Claesdr was a member of the Heda family. His uncle was the painter Cornelis Claesz Heda. He became a member of the Haarlem Guild of St. Luke
in 1631.
, akin to him in pictorial touch and technical execution. But Heda was more careful and finished than Hals, showing considerable skill and taste in the arrangement and colouring of his chased cups, beakers and tankards of both precious and inferior metals. Nothing is so appetizing as his fare: presentation upon rich plate of such delicacies as oysters (seldom without cut lemon), bread, champagne, olives and pastry. Even the more commonplace meals have charm, comprising sliced ham, bread, walnuts and beer. Heda is famous for his "ontbijt" or breakfast pieces, and in this regard he is often compared to his contemporary Pieter Claesz
.
One of Heda's early masterpieces, dated 1623 and in Alte Pinakothek
, Munich
, is as homely as a later one of 1651 in the Liechtenstein Gallery at Vienna
. A more luxurious repast is a "Luncheon" in the Augsburg Gallery, dated 1644.
, but most of Heda's pictures are on the European continent, notably in the galleries of Paris
, Parma
, Ghent
, Darmstadt
, Gotha
, Munich and Vienna. He was a man of repute in his native city, filling all the offices of dignity and trust in the painter's guild.
His pupils include Maerten Boelema de Stomme, Gerret Willemsz Heda
, Hendrick Heerschop, and Arnold van Beresteijn.
Dutch Golden Age
The Golden Age was a period in Dutch history, roughly spanning the 17th century, in which Dutch trade, science, military and art were among the most acclaimed in the world. The first half is characterised by the Eighty Years' War till 1648...
artists devoted exclusively to the painting of still life
Still life
A still life is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which may be either natural or man-made...
s.
Biography
Haarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
,
the son of the Haarlem city architect Claes Pietersz. His mother Anna Claesdr was a member of the Heda family. His uncle was the painter Cornelis Claesz Heda. He became a member of the Haarlem Guild of St. Luke
Haarlem Guild of St. Luke
The Haarlem Guild of Saint Luke was first a Christian, and later a city Guild for a large number of trades falling under the patron saints Luke the Evangelist and Saint Eligius.-History:...
in 1631.
Works
Willem was a contemporary and comrade of Dirck HalsDirck Hals
Dirck Hals , born at Haarlem, was a Dutch painter of festivals and ballroom scenes. He was influenced by his elder brother Frans Hals.-Biography:...
, akin to him in pictorial touch and technical execution. But Heda was more careful and finished than Hals, showing considerable skill and taste in the arrangement and colouring of his chased cups, beakers and tankards of both precious and inferior metals. Nothing is so appetizing as his fare: presentation upon rich plate of such delicacies as oysters (seldom without cut lemon), bread, champagne, olives and pastry. Even the more commonplace meals have charm, comprising sliced ham, bread, walnuts and beer. Heda is famous for his "ontbijt" or breakfast pieces, and in this regard he is often compared to his contemporary Pieter Claesz
Pieter Claesz
Pieter Claesz was a Dutch Golden Age still life painter.-Biography:He was born in Berchem, Belgium, near Antwerp, where he became a member of the Guild of St. Luke in 1620. He moved to Haarlem in 1621, where his son, the landscape painter Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem was born...
.
One of Heda's early masterpieces, dated 1623 and in Alte Pinakothek
Alte Pinakothek
The Alte Pinakothek is an art museum situated in the Kunstareal in Munich, Germany. It is one of the oldest galleries in the world and houses one of the most famous collections of Old Master paintings...
, Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, is as homely as a later one of 1651 in the Liechtenstein Gallery at Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. A more luxurious repast is a "Luncheon" in the Augsburg Gallery, dated 1644.
Legacy
Heda died in his native city of HaarlemHaarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
, but most of Heda's pictures are on the European continent, notably in the galleries of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
, Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
, Gotha
Gotha (town)
Gotha is a town in Thuringia, within the central core of Germany. It is the capital of the district of Gotha.- History :The town has existed at least since the 8th century, when it was mentioned in a document signed by Charlemagne as Villa Gotaha . Its importance derives from having been chosen in...
, Munich and Vienna. He was a man of repute in his native city, filling all the offices of dignity and trust in the painter's guild.
His pupils include Maerten Boelema de Stomme, Gerret Willemsz Heda
Gerret Willemsz Heda
Gerret Willemsz Heda , was a Dutch Golden Age painter.-Biography:According to the RKD he was the son and pupil of Willem Claesz Heda and is known for fruit still lifes and vanitas paintings. He influenced the still life painter Jan Jansz. Treck.-References:* on Artnet...
, Hendrick Heerschop, and Arnold van Beresteijn.
External links
- Works and literature at PubHist