In history paintings, 17th-century artists brought exciting stories to life from the Bible, mythology, or history, with plenty of drama and emotion. At the time, history painting was considered the most important genre. After all, it relied on more than technical perfection and also required extensive knowledge and a fertile imagination. The painter had to capture the story’s most compelling moment, with all the appropriate details and symbolism. The Mauritshuis has some impressive examples created by masters like Rembrandt, Vermeer and Jan Steen.
Brought to life
Painters used all kinds of techniques to bring stories to life: animated poses and facial expressions, vivid colours, and dramatic contrasts between light and dark. But a history painting was not simply skilfully painted, it also set out to teach the viewer something. Jan Steen’s painting Moses and Pharaoh’s Crown is a good example of this. The painting depicts a story from the Bible: the infant Moses is being tested because he is seen as a threat to Egypt. The toddler is forced to choose between a golden crown and a bowl of glowing coals. In his innocence, Moses picks a coal and burns himself. Steen depicts this as a farce: the irritated pharaoh, the agitated counsellors and the crying toddler make the scene almost comical. This contrasts with the seriousness of the biblical story and can be seen as a subtle criticism of people in power: they are even afraid of a child.
Popular history paintings
A number of stories were very popular among painters of history paintings, such as the crucifixion of Jesus, Diana and her nymphs, or the death of Julius Caesar. These stories were painted time and time again, because they were extremely dramatic and held a deeper meaning. Diana and Her Nymphs by Johannes Vermeer is even more remarkable: instead of painting the most dramatic moment in the story, he chose to depict a tranquil scene.
History paintings were hung in town halls to display power and values. If you pay attention, you’ll see them more often, painted by various old masters.
