Gerrit van honthorst paintings for beginners

Training and Artistic Career

Little is known of Honthorst's early life, except that he was born in Utrecht, the son of a painter of tapestry cartoons.

He trained in the studio of Abraham Bloemaert (1566-1651), a Dutch painter, engraver and printmaker.

Gerrit van honthorst paintings for beginners

Bloemaert was one of the original Haarlem Mannerism school but changed his style with the advent of the Baroque style. It is believed that Honthorst travelled to Rome between 1610-12 and there was introduced to the works of early Italian Baroque artists like Caravaggio, Guido Reni (1575–1642) and Jacopo Bassano (1510-92).

He painted many religious works in Rome, including Christ Before the High Priest (National Gallery, London) and fresco paintings for churches including the S. Maria della Scala. However, these themes found little popularity outside of Italy.

Court Painter

He stayed in Rome until 1628 and then returned to Utrecht.

In Italy his style of Baroque painting attrac