FA 30b Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Chiaroscuro, In Essence, Thomas De Keyser
Document Summary
His style in his later works becomes much more bold and painterly. See the texture of the paint and the representational ends of the work. Still a dress up portrait but very different from his earlier one. Presents himself as a central asian monarch, holding a mall stick that reads as a scepter. The theatrical staging is undercut with the frank psychological anaylsis of his state. Using the self portrait as a demonstration of technique. Bold impasto technique, incredibly expressive even with limited palette. Very different from the courtly portraits of ruben and his pupil. Unmasking himself at the same time as putting on a theatrical. The brow almost reads as a topographical map. There is a precise circle on the wall behind him. Could be a reference to giotto, was said to have drawn perfect circles freehand on a wall to show his talent. Painting of the surgeon"s guild in the midst of a lesson with their master.