Pieter de Hooch, Mother Task (dog detail), ca.1658 -1660

This weekend I celebrated my birthday with lots of fun activities. Part of the weekend included crafting with my sisters and making these adorable paper dolls inspired by Claudine Hellmuth. We met at a wonderful art store in Marin called Once Around, and they allowed us to use their classroom to make these dolls as a private class. My sister, Diana, helped coordinate the event - she made the samples for us and provided many of the supplies - thank you Dee! If you're ever in Mill Valley, make sure to check out this store called Once Around - it's very cool! Prior to the crafting event we had a wonderful lunch at Blue Barn at Corta Madera, one of my favorite spots for lunch... Picture of me & my sisters and my niece Natalie On Friday, I took the day off and spent some time in Petaluma antique shopping and also taking a class from Eileen Hull at Cathe Holden's amazing barn. Below are a few shots from her barn. Cathe Holden and I My sister Maryl and teacher Eileen Hull What great inspiration for redoing my craft room someday! Cathe you've collected some amazing pieces and your barn is a dream...love it all! Here's a picture of the project I made in the class. We used a Sizzix die to cut out the cover and pages. Thank you Eileen for a fun and inspiring class! Another nice bday surprise was being published in the Oct/Nov/Dec issue of Somerset Life. One of my recent necklaces that I constructed from several necklaces was featured. Thank you friends and family for all the bday wishes and thoughtful and generous gifts! It was a wonderful weekend of celebrations!

Opening a New Art Room: An Art Teacher's Cheat Sheet Physical Space % %

I've been chatting alot with y'all lately about routines for the art room...and it seems kinda crazy to address that before talking about rules, doesn't it?! For the longest time...like, I'm talking YEARS, I did not understand the difference between rules and routines. There were times when I would list my rules and they'd be a mile long because they were actually procedures I wanted my kids to follow, not rules. It can all be a little confusing so let me share an analogy with you... Your art room is the magical masterpiece of a place you wish to create for you and your students. Your RULES are the broad brush stokes of that masterpiece. The solid foundation you wish to create. Your ROUTINES are the small brush strokes, the dabs of color and light that bring your entire work of art together. With rules and routines, your art room are room has the potential to becoming everything you and your students need to create, grow and thrive. Now...when those rules and routines are disregarded, which can happen for any number of reasons, then there are consequences. I'll be talking more about that next week. For now, let's focus on rules. Here's mine: Each one of these is a downloadable PDF which you can find here. In fact, you can read more about my rules by following this link. For many years, I just came up with rules. I copied rules that other classroom or art teachers used without putting much thought into it. I hate to even admit it, but it's true. In fact, I talk a lot about it in one of this week's podcast episodes. But, incase you missed the prequel, you might wanna listen to the one on routines first. And here's my podcast episode on rules: Before you even start thinking about your RULES and ROUTINES, shouldn't you know your WHY? I wish I had. For years I was just blindly going thru my rules, the ones I'd robbed from other folks, without giving it much thought. It was the thing I thought I had to do, get outta the way and off my To Do. Sadly, what I didn't know, is that your WHY sheds light on the tone and climate you wish to create for your art room. Starting there allows you to then shape and form your RULES and your ROUTINES. If you've not yet created your WHY, don't worry about it. I walk you through the process in this working podcast. I have LOVED seeing your pie charts and your WHYs...thank you so much for sharing them with me here. Painting my WHY was so much fun. It now hangs happily in my Command Center, right where all of my students and I can see it everyday. I talk about my WHY with my students on the very first days of art. And I ask them WHY they want to be in art...WHAT do they hope to learn, do and know. Knowing their stake in their education and owning it, gives them power. My rules embrace my WHY and help to bring it to life. What are your art room rules? What tone and/or climate do you hope they help your masterpiece of an art room become?

This picture was probably painted in 1658, towards the end of de Hooch's stay in Delft. Many changes in the composition show the care with which the design was developed. The figures appear to have been added after the architectural features of the interior had been painted. Its chequered floor is visible through the skirt of the servant to the right, and technical photographs show that this figure was originally in conversation with a man standing on her left, a figure later concealed by the painter. The main focus of the painting is the wine glass, held up by the girl on the left, which is brightly illuminated from the adjacent window. On the rear wall behind the table is a map of Holland and over the fireplace to the right, a painting showing the Education of the Virgin, which is similar to a picture (Ering, Esterhazy Chapel) which appears to have been painted in Flanders in the early 17th century. [Oil on canvas, 73.7 x 64.6 cm]

Pieter de Hooch (1629-1684), Dutch genre painter of the Delft school, noted for his interior scenes and masterful use of light. De Hooch was a pupil of Claes Berchem at Haarlem. From 1653 he was in the service of Justus de Grange and lived in Delft, The Hague, and Leiden. He was a member of the painters’ guild of Delft from 1654-1657..

Inspiring Art Room Doors. Lately, I've seen some truly inspiring art room doors posted by art teachers on social media.

Pieter de Hooch (1629-1684), Dutch genre painter of the Delft school, noted for his interior scenes and masterful use of light. De Hooch was a pupil of Claes Berchem at Haarlem. From 1653 he was in the service of Justus de Grange and lived in Delft, The Hague, and Leiden. He was a member of the painters’ guild of Delft from 1654-1657..

The Bed Room, Pieter de Hooch. Dutch Baroque Era Painter (1629 - 1684)

Pieter de Hooch, Rotterdam 1629 - Amsterdam 1684 Mußestunde in eleganter Umgebung (1663 - 1665) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Scenes of daily life and domestic interiors were very common in seventeenth-century Holland, and pictures of the new burgher classes busily going about t...

"The Bedroom," by Pieter de Hooch (1658/1660) DIMENSIONS • 9" x 12" (Image: 7.5" x 8.69") • 12" x 16" (Image: 10" x 11.56") • 16" x 20" (Image: 13" x 15") • 20" x 24" (Image: 16" x 18.5") • 24" x 30" (Image: 19" x 22") Archival Inkjet on Fine Art Paper Smooth Surface - Matte Finish - Inset Borders ABOUT THE ARTWORK ----------------------------- Pieter de Hooch was a genre painter of the Dutch Golden Age who specialized in quiet domestic scenes. In his works the geometry and balance of architectural elements support an atmosphere of interpersonal harmony. De Hooch was an influence upon Jan Vermeer, who lived in Delft at the same time. His "Woman Holding a Balance" (c. 1665) quotes directly from de Hooch's earlier work, "Interior with a Woman Weighing a Gold Coin" (c. 1659-1662). In "The Bedroom" light pouring in from the doorway and window give the effect of the child brightening the room as he or she enters. The mother, engaged with her chores, returns the youngster's smile. It is possible that the figures are de Hooch's wife, Jannetje, and either his son, Peter, or daughter, Anna. Both would have worn skirts as small children. ART-CENTRIC DESIGN ----------------------------- Vintage art is not standardized. The original works are usually too long, or too short, to neatly fill a store-bought frame. Most shops arbitrarily crop the artwork to match, leading to claustrophobic prints with missing or partial elements. These modifications — sometimes trivial, sometimes ludicrous — are not always shown in the product photos. We believe that the purpose of art is not to fill a frame; it is the purpose of a frame to showcase the art. Our prints have inset borders that make up any differences in proportion between the artwork and a standard frame, so that you can experience the art as the artist intended. They look sharp in beveled mats, may be float mounted, or inserted directly into standard frames; the borders providing a mat-like accent around the image. There are many styles from which to choose. Framing is a fun, creative process that enhances the artwork and livens your space for years to come. Should you like any advice, feel free to reach out. CUSTOMIZATION AND IMAGE REQUESTS ----------------------------- We are happy to customize our prints to fit your frame. Borderless prints may require the artwork to be cropped to fit a new aspect ratio. In such cases, we will provide a mockup to ensure that the final product meets with your approval. If you’re looking for an artwork that is not in our catalog, feel free to ask if we can provide it. We will print any public domain or openly licensed image that is available in high resolution. MUSEUM QUALITY ----------------------------- Giclée process prints are the gold standard in fine art reproduction. We use a matte finish, cotton fiber paper to maximize detail while eliminating glare. Our prints display a wide color gamut, deep blacks and beautiful tonal transitions. Produced using only archival materials, they will not fade or yellow, but maintain their original quality for as long as you own them. HANDMADE DECLARATION ----------------------------- To assure artistic quality, all of our production and design is strictly in-house. Every print has been proofed, calibrated and inspected for defects. We do not drop ship, resell or make use of third-party production partners. SHIPPING AND PACKAGING ----------------------------- All orders ship within one business day via USPS First Class, Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express. Sizes 9” x 12” and 12” x 16” ship in a flat configuration, unless combined with larger prints, which require tubes. We will replace any lost or damaged items at no expense to you. HAPPINESS GUARANTEE ----------------------------- We will promptly address any issues that may arise with your order. If you are unhappy with your print for any reason, you are welcome to return it for a full refund.

Pieter de Hooch - The Greeting, 1675 at Corcoran Art Gallery Washington DC Also viewed at 2017 Vermeer and the Masters Exhibit at National Gallery of Art - Washington DC

Beautiful and creative inspiring art rooms. These art teachers have gone all out decorating their art rooms. Super-creative!

We all know how it goes, you start the year full force ready to conquer every day of class but inevitably life, stress, exhaustion, and time throw a wrench into things. Here are some awesome things I am trying to do this year that I hope I keep doing (And will try my absolute best to do so) this year and the next! PBIS! This is where our PBIS stuff happens in the Art Room. The numbers are velcro and change throughout class based on behavior (That 2 was the first day of art, UGH) the scale is 1-5. We ask the students "strive for 5", and this is part of our district PBIS program. I did this last year and I loved it but I was having to re-make make my charts when we got new teachers so my solution was to laminate everything! The charts were laminated blank and the names separately so all I needed to do was double stick tape the names. Next year, I just have to make new names! I hope I can manage to do at least that, or I might be a lost cause. Table identification! Last year we just had table colors, this year, I'm trying to infuse a lot more art history. So, tables are also an artist. Tables might be called by their artist name or color so they really have to listen. I hope I can remember to call them by the artists! And do a project that is centered on each artist! Displayed I CANS! Last year I was writing massive I CANs up on the board for each class and it took a lot of time and I had to re-write it each class and it left little room for me to use my board. The words "I CAN" are magnetic and so are the classes so I can easily move them when necessary. I REALLY hope I keep up with writing the I CANs, they are such a great tool...for me and students! What do I need?! Once again magnetic, I did supplies that we use on a day to day basis including colored sharpies, erasers, pencils, rulers, oil pastels, crayons, paint brushes, glue stick, bottled glue, watercolors...etc I did not do one for paper and I have a Special Supply one for unique materials. I was already forgetting to change this in the first week but I hope once I get into a routine, I will be able to stick to it and it will answer a lot of questions that students ask me. In addition to this I have them tell me the steps of a project and we write it on the board next to this. That I REALLY hope to keep up with too! "Show Me The Mona Lisa"! This has been all over the art teacher webisphere and I wanted to give it a try. I SERIOUSLY LOVE IT. The older kids think its a little silly but the younger ones are really into it. Whenever they start to get restless or I need to tell them something during work time I say "Show me the Mona Lisa" and they sit up straight, voice zero, and hands folded. Get this version here, otherwise you can easily do your own! I hope, because I love this so much, I will be able to keep up with it! Handy dandy supply labels! Another question I'm really tired of is "where is the (art supply)" this will hopefully help with that and also keep my supply tables cleaner! I used the same labels for my What Do I Need? so it was no big deal. On the first day of Art we talked about keeping the supplies behind the labels to keep everything where it should be and so the Kinderbeaners can see the pictures! Obviously I can keep up with this because I don't need to do anything else, but I am worried about wear and tear. I may need to replace them half way through...they are laminated and packing taped on so we will see! I hope they survive! New "Free Art" excitement! Another Art Teacher webisphere idea/concept floating around is Legos as a free art choice. I also got my hand on geo-boards that teachers were getting rid of when they got new math stuff this year! The Legos were mine as a kid so i'm a little nervous about them being out but I told them how they were mine from when I was little and hopefully that personal connection will keep them around. I am also CRAZY nervous about rubber bands getting flung but I warned them of losing this as a choice if it happens. I hope they can handle this stuff so I can keep using them year after year. "Write About Art"! This is also a new choice for free Art but will also be used as a consequence for kiddos that are off task. I feel like that is a little contradictory but I have some kids that just LOVE to write, so why would I tell them no? I hope I keep up with using it as a consequence because I believe it will be an effective one. Le Piece de Resistance! New and improved seating charts! Somewhere in the bloggersphere or Pinterest I saw this idea for seating charts (if anyone knows where let me know)! Instead of writing names in pencil and having to deal with erasing and re-writing for seats that get switched, students that move, or new students, you write the names on tabs that can be moved easily. I write first name, last initial. I have the names blurred for safety reasons here but you can see how it works. I LOVE THIS and have gotten a ton of compliments from other staff on the idea already (but I give credit to the internet-don't worry). It is pretty low cost also, a pack of about 200 is less than $2 if you go with the generic brand from Walmart. I hope I do this each year to save me some sanity of the ever-changing seating chart! All in all, lots of new things happening and this is just my second and a half year teaching. Can't wait for what the future brings me in my career. I hope its all as awesome as this stuff! Anything totally awesome that I just HAVE to try in my room that you do?

Hello, party people! I'm excited to share with y'all today some things that are goin' down in the art room...namely, just how my students are using their sketchbooks! I see my third and fourth grade students for an hour (my other classes are 30 minutes in length). For that reason, I decided to introduce them to sketchbooks this year. We created our own sketchbook covers on the very first day of art and had a big time doing so. Here's a blog post explaining how they are created. We did these a couple of years ago...and while the kids loved making them and sketching...I dropped the ball. I wasn't super sure how I wanted the kids to use their sketchbooks. Here was my initial thought a couple of years ago: This time around, I decided to make some changes to how we use our books. Here's the plan: * We will be taking a journey through art history with our sketchbooks! Every other week, my students will sketch in their books. We will do this every other week so as to not eat into regularly scheduled creative time. To make this process of distributing and collecting sketchbooks easier (because I have two classes at once and things can take a little longer/get a little hairy if I don't have a solid system), I created this video with the help of my awesome co-workers. My kids FLIPPED when they saw their teachers cutting up for the cause. Here's the Do's and Don't's of Sketchbookin': * On sketchbook days, my students will watch two 1-minute videos. The first one will be a Hot Minute of History (which I've shared here before) and the other will be a sketchbook prompt based on that history. Here's our first installment! * As they view the videos, students are to silently take their sketchbook from the bin and pass the bin. They did this beautifully. Here's their sketching prompt video: I made my rules very clear: Silent Sketch Time and One Page at a Time. I then set my timer for 7 minutes and the kids went to work. I was so loving their first sketches! I thought I'd share... We used texture plates and fabric for the rubbing. I did end up swapping out the vine charcoal for black oil pastels as the charcoal did not work very well on the oil pastels. I had one student say they had "messed up" and that they wanted to start again on another sheet. I said, "If you were a cave artist, you wouldn't ask for another cave wall...you would make that drawing work!" And they did. It was a fun lesson on beautiful oops'ing! One of the main reasons I thought it would be good to sketch through Art History is that it is one area that I often fail to teach. There are SO MANY THINGS TO TEACH IN ART that I find I have to squeeze in as much as I can. This is one way I hope to do that. I introduced A Hot Minute of Art History before (more details here) but then it was just me chatting...and I tend to be long winded. Not only that but it didn't really resonate with the kids as they didn't have a creating-connection. So, hopefully, this will help. I am showing the one minute videos to my first through second grade students...they just don't do the sketching portion. I also created a song to go along with this journey. You can find the song here (it's a work in progress). Here's a clip of me teaching it to a group of third graders a couple of years ago: We still get up and sing the song...but now we do it with a before video and a sketching intro! I was so excited by the sketchbook drawings and I know the kids were too. I can't wait to share our next Art History video with them! I also loved the variety of drawings. I did do a quick google search of cave paintings and placed a couple of simple sheets on each table for inspiration. My students are used to these Idea Sheets, as we call them. I know that I work best when I have some inspiration so I always provide that for my students. As I create the lyrics to the song, I've been working on paintings myself. Here's my take on Cave Painting: These paintings will later become posters to hold the lyrics of our Rockin' Art History song! You can find the pdf for this here if you are interested! Feel free to use in your art room. All I ask is that you share your source when other's ask. I would rather not post what I share to TPT...I would like to continue sharing. However, it is sometimes sad to see folks not give credit where it is due...especially when they got the information for free. So I ask politely and say thank you! Getting back into sketchbooks with the kids meant finding a place to store them. Earlier this year, I found this great bookcase that was in an abandoned classroom. After a little bit of paint, I was happy with the result. My bins from Target are the perfect fit! It really helps to have the folders divided by class and gender as that makes passing the sketchbooks our much faster and easier. I'll be sure to share our sketchbook adventures as they continue! Until then, have a super week!

Pieter de Hooch, Rotterdam 1629 - Amsterdam 1684 Mutter ihr Kind lausend / A Mother Delousing her Child's Hair aka A Mother's Duty, Detail (1658 - 60) Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam A mother thoroughly inspects her child’s head for lice. She pursues her task in a sober Dutch interior, with Delft blue tiles and a box bed. In the right foreground is a ‘kakstoel’, or potty chair. Through the doorway is a glimpse of a sunny back room and a garden. De Hooch specialized in such ‘through-views’. Source: Rijksmuseum

Pieter de Hooch 1629-1683. Delft et Amsterdam. Mère et sa fille dans une pièce garde manger. Mother and daughter in a room Pantry. vers 1660. Amsterdam. Rijksmuseum PAYS BAS : LA PEINTURE DE LA SOCIÉTÉ CONTEMPORAINE. Une des caractéristiques parmi les plus remarquables de la peinture des Pays Bas du Nord, protestants, qui domine tout le 17è siècle, le siècle d'Or hollandais, est la peinture de genre, la peinture de la vie quotidienne, la description fidèle, réaliste et matérialiste de toute la société contemporaine des peintres. Non seulement la société aristocratique, comme dans les pays du sud de l'Europe, en Allemagne ou en Angleterre, mais aussi celle bourgeoise, petite bourgeoise, et même celle artisanale et paysanne. La peinture de paysage qui est une autre des caractéristique de l'école néerlandaise entre d'ailleurs en réalité dans la description par les artistes de la société du temps. Le paysagisme néerlandais est la peinture par les artistes néerlandais de l'environnement de la société dans laquelle ils vivent. Et même quand ils font le voyage d'Italie, les paysages italiens peints par les artistes néerlandais sont habités non par des Dieux, des Déesses ou des héros antiques, mais par des figures humaines ou animales de leur temps. Les artistes néerlandais ne peignent pas des paysages avec Io transformée en vache, ou Zeus métamorphosé en aigle, mais des bovins et des aigles tout à fait ordinaires. Partout ailleurs en Europe occidentale l'art religieux, l'art mythologique, l'art historique, ce que l'on appelle "le Grand Art" domine. La peinture de genre, des moeurs de la société est en comparaison tout à fait anecdotique et la peinture de paysage est essentiellement un cadre pour les thèmes religieux, historiques ou mythologiques qui forment le sujet principal du tableau. Ces orientations générales, particulières aux Pays Bas du Nord, néerlandais, ont deux origines : 1) Idéologiques : la Réforme. Rappelons quelques dates qui sont des jalons importants. La Séparation de fait des Pays Bas du Nord et du Sud : 1579 (Union d'Utrecht). La Reconnaissance définitive de l'indépendance des Pays Bas du Nord par tous les pays européens: 1648. La Réforme néerlandaise, de tendance calviniste, limite l'iconographie religieuse à la représentation du Christ en croix et supprime toute représentation imagée de Dieu, du Saint Esprit, des Anges, de la Vierge, des Saints, du Diable. C'est en réalité la disparition de la peinture religieuse comme thème de l'art de la société. Les artistes ont donc été dans l'obligation de trouver d'autres sujets de peinture, qui soient tolérés par la nouvelle élite idéologique et politique et qui intéressent leurs clients. Ces sujets seront donc inspirés par la société du temps, dans toutes ses composantes sociales, et par l'environnement paysager. L'incidence de la Réforme sur le portrait est aussi importante : l'aristocratie se fait discrète, au profit de la grande bourgeoisie d'affaires et même de la petite bourgeoisie artisanale ou commerciale. C'est la peinture des "Gueux" appellation qui avait son origine dans les Pays du Sud mais que les révoltés du Nord avaient revendiquée et adoptée comme caractéristique de leur révolte contre l'Espagne et le Catholicisme romain. 2) Historiques et culturelles : L'art de la Réforme calviniste néerlandaise ignore tous les sujets tirés de l'histoire et de la mythologie gréco-romaine. Les Pays Bas du Nord n'ont jamais été colonisés par Rome et l'empreinte culturelle de l'Antiquité y est donc très discrète. Beaucoup plus faible qu'en Allemagne, malgré les parentés ethniques et linguistiques et malgré le fait qu'une grande partie de l'Allemagne ait aussi échappé à la colonisation romaine. L' Empire Germanique a précocement et longtemps dominé l'Italie, il a donc assimilé la culture de l'Antiquité Gréco-Romaine. Cet empire s'est d'ailleurs appelé pendant des siècles " le Saint Empire Romain Germanique", appellation très révélatrice des influences méditerranéennes sur la Germanie. Influences inexistantes aux Pays Bas du Nord. Ce ce sont ces différences culturelles que leur art pictural respectif reflète très bien, malgré les proximités ethniques et linguistiques. Cet intérêt pour le quotidien, ce réalisme naturaliste et matérialiste est cependant déjà très présent dans les Pays Bas du Sud flamands, dont la population est de même origine ethnique et de même langue que celle des Pays Bas du Nord. Pourtant les Pays Bas du Sud sont d'anciennes colonies romaines, l'empreinte catholique y est profonde et ils sont restées catholiques. C'est ce que démontrent, parmi d'autres artistes, deux peintres emblématiques, Bruegel Pierre I (1525-1569) et Brueghel Jan I (1568-1625). Il est possible de constater chez ces peintres des Pays Bas du sud catholiques, postérieurs à ceux que l'on appelle les "Primitifs Flamands", mais actifs avant que la Réforme ait pu produire tous ses effets directs ou indirects, une tendance très nette à traiter les sujets religieux comme un motif parmi d'autres, dans des tableaux qui constituent pour l'essentiel une peinture de la société du temps ou des paysages de l'époque. Les thèmes du Carnaval ou des Proverbes sont même totalement profanes, ils sont manifestement l'occasion de peindre la société contemporaine de l'artiste. C'est déjà aussi ce que l'on observe chez un peintre d'Anvers, très antérieur et qui constitue un autre jalon idéologiquement très important de la peinture des Pays Bas : Joachim Patinier, Patenier, ou Patinir (1483 1524). La comparaison avec l'art des pays européens du sud met en évidence une inversion des valeurs subtiles mais profondes : La Vie ou la Passion du Christ, la Vie de la Vierge, la vie de tel ou tel saint comme Jérôme ou Jean Baptiste ne sont plus le sujet principal du tableau, même quand le titre invoque le thème religieux. Ils sont un détail, (on n'ose pas dire un prétexte) dans une peinture très détaillée, très populaire, très réaliste, de la vie quotidienne. Ou, dans le cas de Patinir, dans une peinture dont la lyrique, pour ne pas dire la mystique, est essentiellement paysagère. THE NETHERLANDS: THE PAINTING OF CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY. One of the most remarkable characteristics of Protestant painting in the North Netherlands, which dominated the 17th century, the Dutch Golden Age, is genre painting, painting of everyday life, the faithful, realistic and materialistic description of the whole contemporary society of painters. Not only the aristocratic society, as in the countries of southern Europe, Germany or England, but also the bourgeois, petty bourgeois, and even the artisanal and peasant society. Landscape painting, which is another characteristic of the Dutch school, is actually part of the artists' description of the society of the time. The dutch landscap is the painting by dutch artists of the environment of the society in which they live. And even when they travel from Italy, the Italian landscapes painted by Dutch artists are inhabited not by ancient Gods, Goddesses or heroes, but by human or animal figures of their time. Dutch artists do not paint landscapes with Io transformed into a cow, or Zeus transformed into an eagle, but quite ordinary cattle and eagles. Everywhere else in Western Europe religious art, mythological art, historical art, what is called "Great Art" dominates.. Gender painting, social mores is in comparison quite anecdotal and landscape painting is essentially a framework for the religious, historical or mythological themes that form the main subject of the painting These general guidelines, particular to the Dutch North Netherlands, have two origins: 1) Ideological: the Reformation. Let us recall some dates that are important milestones. The de facto separation of the Netherlands from the North and South: 1579 (Union of Utrecht). The definitive recognition of the independence of the Northern Netherlands by all European countries: 1648. The Dutch Reformation, with a Calvinist tendency, limits religious iconography to the representation of Christ on the cross and suppresses all pictorial representation of God, the Holy Spirit, Angels, the Virgin, the Saints, the Devil. It is actually the disappearance of religious painting as a theme of the art of society. The artists were therefore obliged to find other subjects of painting, which were tolerated by the new ideological and political elite and which interested their clients. These subjects will therefore be inspired by the society of time, in all its social components, and by the landscape environment. The impact of the Reformation on the portrait is also important: the aristocracy is becoming discreet, to the benefit of the big business bourgeoisie and even the small craft or commercial bourgeoisie. It is the painting of the "Gueux" (the Beggars), appellation which had its origin in the South but which the rebels of the North had claimed and adopted as a characteristic of their revolt against Spain and Roman Catholicism. 2) Historical and cultural: The art of the Dutch Calvinist Reformation ignores all the subjects drawn from Greek-Roman history and mythology. The Northern Netherlands has never been colonized by Rome and the cultural imprint of antiquity is therefore very discret. Much weaker than in Germany, despite ethnic and linguistic similarities and the fact that a large part of Germany also escaped Roman colonization. The German Empire dominated Italy early and for a long time, so it assimilated the culture of the Greco-Roman Antiquity. For centuries, this empire was called "the Holy Roman Empire of Germany", a name that reveals the Mediterranean influences on Germania. Non-existent influences in the Northern Netherlands. It is these cultural differences that their respective pictorial art reflects very well, despite ethnic and linguistic proximities. This interest in everyday life, this naturalistic and materialistic realism is however already very present in the Flemish Southern Netherlands, whose population is of the same ethnic origin and language as that of the Northern Netherlands. Yet the Southern Netherlands are former Roman colonies, the Catholic footprint is deep and they have remained Catholic. This is demonstrated, among other artists, by two emblematic painters, Bruegel Pierre I (1525-1569) and Brueghel Jan I (1568-1625). It is possible to observe among these painters from the Catholic Southern Netherlands, after those called the "Flemish Primitives", but active before the Reformation had been able to produce all its direct or indirect effects, a very clear tendency to treat religious subjects as one motif among others, in paintings that essentially constitute a painting of the society of the time or landscapes of the time. The themes of Carnival or Proverbs are even totally secular, they are obviously an opportunity to paint the artist's contemporary society. This is already what can be observed in an Antwerp painter from the very first beginning, who represents another important ideological milestone in Dutch painting: Joachim Patinier, Patenier or Patinir (1483-1524). Comparison with the art of southern European countries reveals an inversion of subtle but profound values: The Life or Passion of Christ, the Life of the Virgin, the life of such and such a saint as Jerome or John the Baptist are no longer the main subject of the painting, even when the title invokes the religious theme. They are a detail, (one does not dare to say a pretext) in a very detailed, very popular, very realistic painting of everyday life. Or, in the case of Patinir, in a painting whose lyricism , if not mysticism, is essentially landscape.

Museum Prinsenhof Delft found discoveries in paintings by Pieter de Hooch: a signature; a fingerprint; and sketches of a ship’s mast.

Pieter de Hooch, Rotterdam 1629 - Amsterdam 1684 Mutter ihr Kind lausend / A Mother Delousing her Child's Hair aka A Mother's Duty (1658 - 60) Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam A mother thoroughly inspects her child’s head for lice. She pursues her task in a sober Dutch interior, with Delft blue tiles and a box bed. In the right foreground is a ‘kakstoel’, or potty chair. Through the doorway is a glimpse of a sunny back room and a garden. De Hooch specialized in such ‘through-views’. Source: Rijksmuseum