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" Every day we should hear at least one good song , read one good poem , see one exquisite picture , and , if possible , speak a few sensible words . " Johann Wolfgang von Goethe "

Monday 16 July 2012

' Bearded Man with a Beret ' Jan Lievens . Dutch (1607-16740) Oil on Panel , circa 1630 . National Gallery of Art , Washington DC

' Bearded Man with a Beret '  Jan Lievens  Dutch (1607-1674) Oil on panel , circa 1630 . National Gallery of Art , Washington DC . Jan Lievens was a highly gifted Dutch painter usually associated with Rembrandt , working in a similar style . According to Arnold Houbraken he was the son of a tapestry worker , and was trained by Joris Verschoten . He was sent to Amsterdam at about the age of 10 for two full years. After that he began his career as an independent artist , at about the age of 12 in Leiden. He became somewhat of a celebrity because of his talent at such a young age. This 'celebrity attracted the attention of the Prince of Orange around 1620, who bought a life-size painting of a young man reading by the light of a turf-fire .He gave this painting in turn to the English Ambassador, who presented it to James 1st . This was the reason why , when Lievens was 31, he was invited to the English Court. When he returned from England via Calais, he settled in Antwerp , where he married Suzanna Coyln de Nole , the daughter of the sculptor Michiel Colyns.

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