The National Gallery of Ireland (NGI) will host a scholarly conference in connection with the landmark exhibition Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting: Inspiration and Rivalry. As the originating institution of the exhibition, the NGI will bring together a panel of international speakers who will discuss different aspects of the fascinating network of relationships among Dutch genre painters of the period 1650–1675. While Vermeer is currently the most renowned painter of such scenes, the Delft master was only one of many artists who excelled in capturing everyday surroundings in exquisite detail. Other major genre painters included Gerrit Dou, Gerard ter Borch, Jan Steen, Pieter de Hooch, Gabriel Metsu and Frans van Mieris. Even though these artists were active in different cities in the Dutch Republic, their work bears strong similarities in style, subject matter, composition and technique. They frequently drew inspiration from each other’s paintings and then tried to surpass each other in verisimilitude, technical prowess and aesthetic appeal. This vibrant artistic rivalry contributed to the exceptionally high quality of their combined oeuvre.
Speakers
Junko Aono
Associate Professor, Kyushu University, Fukuoka
Ronni Baer
William and Ann Elfers Senior Curator of European Paintings, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Piet Bakker
Art Historian, Technical University of Delft
Perry Chapman
Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Art History, University of Delaware
Melanie Gifford
Research Conservator for Painting Technology, National Gallery of Art, Washington
Lisha Glinsman
Conservation Scientist, National Gallery of Art, Washington
Angela Ho
Assistant Professor, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
John Loughman
Associate Professor, University College Dublin
Adriaan Waiboer
Head of Collections and Research, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin
Tickets
Conference tickets are available from 12 May 2017. For more information, please see www.nationalgallery.ie