Jean Boulogne (1529-1609)Jean Boulogne was born in Douai in 1529, in what was then Flanders. As a fourteen-year old he was apprenticed to the sculptor Jacques Dubroecq. Having completed his apprenticeship, at twenty he left for Rome, to study the famous works of the RenaissanceRenaissanceThe period from about 1400 to 1600 was a golden age for the arts, literature, scholarship and the sciences. This was accompanied by a great interest in and admiration for the civilization of ancient Greece and Rome. Artists and their patrons felt that this civilization had come to life once more and referred to their own time as the 'Renaissance', meaning a rebirth. The ideal of beauty of classical antiquity became the standard to which all art was expected to conform. Typical also of this period was its hunger for knowledge, resulting in a passion for collecting and for distant travel. Above all a new self-awareness had come into being. In contrast with the Middle Ages, the individual now occupied centre stage; man was seen as the centre of the universe. The Renaissance began in Italy and spread throughout Europe. Artists of the Italian Renaissance, for instance, are Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael. Jan van Scorel was one the first Dutch artists of the Renaissance. and classical antiquityClassical antiquityClassical antiquity refers to the period in which Graeco-Roman civilization flourished. It began in the 7th century BC with the rise of Athens and ended in the 4th century AD when the Roman emperors adopted Christianity. It was a period in which culture reached new heights. Two thousand years ago classical civilization encompassed much of Europe, and parts of Asia and Africa. The art and architecture of classical antiquity have long counted as the standard by which all art should be measured. The literature, philosophy and mythology of this period remained one of the principal sources of European thought until well into the 20th century.. There he met Michelangelo. Giambologna liked to tell the story of how he had once proudly shown Michelangelo a beautifully finished wax statue. Whereupon Michelangelo had taken the statue, crushed it in his fingers and with a few, deft hand movements kneaded a new form out of the material: a dynamic and strong composition. Michelangelo then gave Giambologna the following piece of advice: learn how to shape your material before giving it a pretty finish. |
