Pieter Lastman (ca. 1583-1633)As a young painter Pieter Lastman spent some years in Italy, according to the account given by the biographer Karel van Mander in his 'Schilderboeck' ('Book of Painters') of 1604. After his return to Amsterdam in 1607, Lastman was considered to be a connoisseur of Italian art. He painted biblicalBibleThe word 'bible' comes from the Greek word 'biblos', which means book. In fact the Bible is not one, but a collection of many books. It divides into two parts, the Old and the New Testament, both comprising various groups of writings - the books of the Bible. The Old Testament contains the laws and history of the Jewish people from the Creation to pre-Roman times. The New Testament deals with Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity. The accent is on his ministry, the Crucifixion and his Resurrection from death. Here too are the stories of Christ's first followers, the apostles. Christian teaching is founded on the Bible. and mythologicalClassical mythology'Mythology' comes from the Greek word 'muthos', meaning the spoken word, or story. A myth is a story about gods or deities. Mythology is all the stories combined. In theory, all cultures have their own mythology. Usually, however, the word mythology refers to the stories of classical antiquity. In these the main protagonists are the gods of Greece and Rome. scenes, with much attention to landscape. He was a great influence on pupils and contemporaries and was highly esteemed in the seventeenth century. The Dutch poet Vondel even called him 'the Apelles of our century'. Lastman's work fetched a high price during his lifetime. The king of Denmark commissioned three Bible depictions from him. The artist's fame did not last however, and later he was chiefly known as the teacher of Rembrandt and Jan Lievens. |
