It is perhaps not surprising that Jeroen Luijt’s photography should be infused with the spirit of the Dutch Old Masters.
As he points out: “I live in the center of Amsterdam; I have the 17th century all around me.” His passion for still life began in front of the Rijksmuseum’s collections of Jan van Huysum (1682–1749), Pieter Claesz (1597–1660) and Anthony Van Dyck (1599–1641).
It wasn’t until he embarked on a four year education at the city’s Photo Academy, however, that he struck on the idea of making his own.
Lujit nowadays has attracted the attention of critics and collectors alike for his dramatic images, rich in detail and symbolism that blend the classical and the personal, the old mastery with modern photography.
By Jeroen Luijt
Available in 4 sizes
Edition of 9 and 2 AP (Artist Proof)
2020
Classic Still-Lives
Fine-Art Print
Framed in Old Dutch Style Black Frame with Museum Plexiglass frame
Pronk Still Lifes are ornate 17th Century oil masters usually interpreted as a form of vanitas painting that conveys a moral lesson.
Works of Jeroen Luijt are frequently mistaken for oil paintings. Luijt draws heavily from painterly traditions – laden with symbols that have historically represented the emotions, wealth and life—it is the challenges of the photographic process that really fascinate him. “When taking a photo, what you see is what you get. If there’s a reflection of light on a glass, you will see that reflection. When an object is shown balanced on the edge of the table you actually have to balance it there. Painting is hard, of course, but sometimes it’s easier to paint reality than to photograph it.
By Jeroen Luijt
Available in 4 sizes
Edition of 15
2020
Inspired by Coorte
Plexiglass in old style dutch frame
Image Size: 20x16cm
Incl. Frame: Size 30x26cm
Little is known about the still-life painter Adriaen Coorte (c. 1665–1707/10). He worked in Middelburg, where he is recorded as a member of the St Luke’s Guild. Coorte’s favourite subjects were still lifes with gooseberries, asparagus or shells. Although some of his compositions were complex, his strength lay in the simple depiction of a single, brilliantly lit object against a dark background. Coorte developed his subjects in detail and was able to make elegant use of light in his compositions. Many of Coorte’s still lifes are painted on paper pasted onto panel, a rather unusual method in the seventeenth century. (Rijksmuseum)
PHOTO BY PAUL VAN DER LINDE
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