Anatomia humani corporis Pl.008

Gerard de Lairesse prints bring the polished classical myths of late Dutch Golden Age Amsterdam, and some of the most striking anatomy drawings ever made, into your home. Lairesse was the most fashionable painter in Amsterdam after Rembrandt, nicknamed the "Dutch Poussin", and an influential writer on art. Our collection of fine art prints covers his mythological paintings, allegories and the plates he drew for the anatomy atlas Anatomia Humani Corporis.

About Gerard de Lairesse

Gerard de Lairesse was born in Liège in September 1641, the second son of the painter Renier de Lairesse, and trained with his father and with Bertholet Flémalle. From 1660 he worked in Cologne and Aachen for Maximilian Henry of Bavaria. In 1664 a scandal involving two of his models forced him to leave Liège; he married Marie Salme on the way north and settled first in Utrecht.

The art dealer Gerrit van Uylenburgh discovered his talent and brought him to Amsterdam, where he arrived carrying his violin. Rembrandt painted his portrait around 1665. In Amsterdam he became one of the most popular painters of the day, decorating the canal houses of wealthy merchants with grisailles, painted ceilings and wall paintings, and working on the royal palaces of Soestdijk and Het Loo. In 1688–89 he painted seven scenes from Roman history for the council chamber of the Hof van Holland in The Hague, now called the Lairesse room.

He was also a musician, poet and member of the literary society Nil Volentibus Arduum. Born with congenital syphilis, he went blind around 1690 and turned to lecturing. With his son's help his lectures became two famous books, Grondlegginge ter teekenkonst (1701) and Het groot schilderboeck (1707), which shaped 18th-century painting. He died in Amsterdam in 1711.

Style and Subjects

Lairesse began under the spell of Rembrandt but moved toward the elegant classical style of French painters such as Nicolas Poussin and Charles Le Brun. His pictures show gods, heroes and allegorical figures in clear light, with graceful poses, rich drapery and ancient architecture.

In his writing he argued that art should show noble subjects and ideal beauty rather than everyday life. His anatomy plates, drawn with startling realism for Govert Bidloo's atlas of 1685, show a very different side of his skill.

Famous Works

• Allegory of the Five Senses (1668). A well-known early allegory with figures representing the senses.
• Apollo and Aurora (1671), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The dawn goddess and the sun god in a radiant classical sky.
• Antiochus and Stratonice (1671), Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. A tale of love-sickness at an ancient court.
• Mercury Orders Calypso to Release Ulysses (c. 1670), Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, Braunschweig. A scene from Homer's Odyssey.
• The Banquet of Cleopatra (1677), Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Cleopatra dissolves a pearl in wine to win a bet with Mark Antony.
• Achilles Discovered among the Daughters of Lycomedes (1685), Mauritshuis, The Hague. The young hero, hidden among women, is revealed by Ulysses.
• Anatomia Humani Corporis (1685). 105 anatomical plates drawn for Govert Bidloo's anatomy atlas.

Decorating with Lairesse Prints

Lairesse's mythological paintings suit formal rooms. Their warm light and classical architecture look handsome in a dining room, library or entrance hall, especially with traditional furniture. Nymphs and Bacchantes Paying Homage at the Temple of Flora adds a festive note above a sideboard.

The Anatomia Humani Corporis plates make a bold, unusual gallery wall in a study, office or modern living space, and are a classic choice for anyone in medicine or science.

FAQ

What art movement was Gerard de Lairesse part of?

He was a painter of the late Dutch Golden Age who worked in a French-influenced classical style. The French called him the "Dutch Poussin".

What are the Anatomia Humani Corporis plates?

They are 105 anatomical illustrations that Lairesse drew for Govert Bidloo's atlas Anatomia Humani Corporis, published in Amsterdam in 1685.

Did Rembrandt paint Gerard de Lairesse?

Yes. Rembrandt painted his portrait around 1665, soon after Lairesse arrived in Amsterdam. Lairesse later criticised the realism of Rembrandt's style in his writing.

Where can I see his paintings?

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Mauritshuis and the Lairesse room at the Binnenhof in The Hague, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Louvre all hold his work.

Why did Gerard de Lairesse stop painting?

He went blind around 1690, from congenital syphilis. He then gave lectures on art, which were published as two influential books.

Related Artists

• Rembrandt van Rijn: painted Lairesse's portrait and shaped his early style
• Nicolas Poussin: French classical painter whose style earned Lairesse the name "Dutch Poussin"
• Charles Le Brun: French classicist painter who influenced him
• Simon Vouet: French classicist painter who influenced him
• Jacob de Wit: later Amsterdam painter influenced by his treatises