06 Paintings, The amorous game, The Unequal Lovers, Part 76 - With Footnotes

Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem, Haarlem 1562 - 1638

The Unequal Lovers, c. 1619

Oil on panel

26 by 27 5/8 in.; 66 by 70.3 cm.

Private collection

The theme of unequal lovers has a long literary history, but in the visual arts it most often appeared in prints, usually accompanied by a moralizing inscription. The theme took two different forms, that of an old woman soliciting a handsome young man, and, more commonly, an old man soliciting a pretty young woman. Here Cornelis van Haarlem indicates the difference in ages quite subtly, adding a little grey to the man's beard.  The artist focuses instead on the mercenary aspects of the transaction, indicating the man's wealth by the fur on his cloak, the gold medal on his hat and, most obviously, by the bulging money bag that the woman squeezes suggestively. More on this painting

Cornelis van Haarlem  (1562–1638)

The Choice between Young and Old

Oil on canvas

height: 72.5 cm (28.5 in); width: 89 cm (35 in)

Private collection

Cornelis Corneliszoon van Haarlem (1562 – 11 November 1638), Dutch Golden Age painter and draughtsman, was one of the leading Northern Mannerist artists in the Netherlands, and an important forerunner of Frans Hals as a portraitist. He is known among art historians as a member of the Haarlem Mannerists. He painted mainly portraits as well as mythological and Biblical subjects. Initially Cornelis Cornelisz painted large-size, highly stylized works with Italianate nudes in twisted poses with a grotesque, unnatural anatomy. Later, his style changed to one based on the Netherlandish realist tradition.

When his parents fled Haarlem in 1568, as the Spanish army laid siege to the city during the Eighty Years' War, Cornelis Cornelisz remained behind and was raised by the painter Pieter Pietersz the Elder. Later, in 1580-1581 Corneliszoon studied in Rouen, France, and Antwerp, before returning to Haarlem, where he stayed the rest of his life. In 1583 he received his first official commission from the city of Haarlem, a militia company portrait, the Banquet of the Haarlem Civic Guard. He later became city painter of Haarlem and received numerous official commissions. As a portrait painter, both of groups and individuals, he was an important influence on Frans Hals. More Cornelis Corneliszoon van Haarlem

After Lucas Cranach the Younger

The unequal couple

Oil on panel

59 x 45.5 cm

More on this painting

Lucas Cranach the Younger (October 4, 1515 – January 25, 1586) was a German Renaissance painter and portraitist, the son of Lucas Cranach the Elder and brother of Hans Cranach.

The Protestant Reformation began in Wittenberg in 1517. Cranach the Elder was friends with Martin Luther and became known as a leading producer of Protestant artistic propaganda. In 1550, Cranach the Elder left Wittenberg to join his patron, John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, in exile. Following his father's departure, Cranach the Younger assumed full responsibility over the flourishing family workshop. In this position, he successfully maintained the workshop's high output of quality work. Although Cranach the Younger was never a court painter, he worked for members of the social elite, including princes and nobles.

In addition to the painting workshop, Cranach the Younger was a successful businessman and politician. He occupied several political offices in Nuremberg commencing in 1549, when he served on the city council. He also served as Chamberlain, beginning in 1555 and Burgomaster from 1565.

Cranach the Younger died in Wittenberg on January 25, 1586. More on Lucas Cranach the Younger

Hendrick Terbrugghen

Unequal Couple, c. c. 1623

Oil on canvas

74 x 89 cm

Private collection

This painting, which was altered by the artist and later cropped at the corners, depicts an almost claustrophobic interior, featuring a bare-chested prostitute clutching the fur garment of a man wearing a mask and pince-nez, both of which make him appear much older than he actually is. This churlish whore smiles at us knowingly, uncouthly exposing her discoloured teeth in the process. More on this painting

Hendrick Jansz ter Brugghen (or Terbrugghen) (1588 – 1 November 1629) was a painter at the start of Dutch Golden Age, and a leading member of the Dutch followers of Caravaggio–the so-called Utrecht Caravaggisti. Along with Gerrit van Hondhorst and Dirck van Baburen, Ter Brugghen was one of the most important Dutch painters to have been influenced by Caravaggio. More on Hendrick Jansz ter Brugghen

Cornelis Corneliszoon van Haarlem  (1562 - 1638)

Monk and Nun

Oil/canvas

106 x 83 5 cm

Private collection

Cornelis van Haarlem  (1562–1638)

A Monk With a Beguine, c. 1591

Oil on canvas

116 × 103 cm (45.6 × 40.5 in)

Collection

Frans Hals Museum 

According to a legend, a nun was accused of being pregnant. To prove this, a monk had to squeeze her breast: if milk came out, the accusation was true. However, no milk came out, but wine from the breast. The wine glass on the table refers to this. Not the sin, but the nun's faith was proved by this miracle. Yet it is not entirely certain that this painting tells the legend of the miracle. There are many more paintings from the late 16th century with the same subject: monks and nuns making love. Perhaps it is a satire on the lascivious behavior of monasteries and on the Catholic faith. More on this painting

Cornelis Corneliszoon van Haarlem  (1562 - 1638)

The unequal couple, around 1624

Oil on wood

21.3 x 18.9 cm

Private collection

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