Quick Biography of Marcus Gheeraerts:
Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger was born 1561 in Bruges. Bruges was a large city located on the coast of France near the Flemish region of Belgium. It was filled with mistreatment and inequality based on an individuals religious beliefs. At the age of two or three he and his father moved from Bruges to London to escape political and religious upheaval and persecutions. They left Marcus Gheeraerts' catholic mother, Johanna, behind.
Marcus' early education remains a mystery although he possibly spent time in the Netherlands. As Marcus became older he received artistic training from his father (Marcus Gheeraerts the Elder) who was also an artist. One of Marcus the Elder's popular paintings was the "Eagle preaching to the animals" (posted above).
Marcus was known as the leading portraitist in London during the late 1500s and early 1600s. Marcus was known for producing some of the most intricate portraits in British art and painted public images of many British leaders including Elizabeth. This was his most famous portrait.
Marcus Gheeraerts became a fashionable portraitist during the last decade of Elizabeth's reign under the patronage of her pageant master Sir Henry Lee. This allowed Marcus to capture the essence of someone who worked for the queen through close observation. He was also almost a patron of Queen Anne of Denmark who love his portraits.
Below are three of Marcus' best portraits, including: Queen Elizabeth I, Catherine Killigrew, and Queen Mary of England.
The "Isms" of Marcus' Works (seen above):
One "ism" that is linked closely to Marcus was naturalism. While studying his work, one may notice the way the people sit in a sort of unusual position, such as Catherine Killigrew with her hand over her heart in her portrait. He also definitely used wrinkles and shadows to show detail in his work. Lastly, you may notice that Captain Thomas Lee is not wearing pants. This definitely shows naturalism- Captain clearly made himself comfortable, and Marcus painted exactly what he saw.
Another "ism" that linked to Marcus was idealism. One can see the idealism in the elegant posture seen in most of his portraits. Also, in "Captain Thomas Lee", there is dark yet beautiful scenery behind him.
Lastly, Marcus used perspectivism in his portraits. He included vanishing points, for example in Catherine Killigrew's portrait, there is a vanishing point behind her head in the darkness. He also used different textures that added dimension to his work.
The work above is a portrait by Marcus Gheeraerts of Captain Thomas Lee, simply named "Captain Thomas Lee". This was created in 1594. This piece is significant because it shows Lee's bare legs and feet. After some research, I found that this represents when he lead the fighting through Irish bogs. This shows the importance of naturalism, because during the renaissance their was always something significant behind the meaning of nudity in art. It's interesting that this is a portrait of an important military leader, yet it is actually very informal. This portrait is overall very significant, because Lee is shown with bare legs and feet, representing the importance of naturalism during the renaissance. If you want to see this painting, it is being studied at the University of California, San Diego. There are also copies in museums throughout Belgium. To learn more about "Captain Thomas Lee" visit this link: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/gheeraerts-portrait-of-captain-thomas-lee-t03028
Works Cited
“ .” Artstor Digital Library, Artstor Members, May 2011, library.artstor.org/library/#3|search|1|marcus20gheeraerts|Multiple20Collection20Search|||type3D3126kw3Dmarcus20gheeraerts26id3Dall26name3DAll20Collections26origKW3D.
CMS, Keepthinking - Qi. “Venues.” Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger (1561/1562–1635/1636) | Art UK Art UK | Discover Artists Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger (1561/1562–1635/1636), Oxford University Press, May 2011, artuk.org/discover/artists/gheeraerts-the-younger-marcus-1561156216351636.
“Person - National Portrait Gallery.” Person - National Portrait Gallery, St Martin's Place, London, May 2011, www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp07001/marcus-gheeraerts-the-younger.
“Portrait of Captain Thomas Lee, Marcus Gheeraerts II 1594 | Tate.” Tate, Tate Members, May 2011, www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/gheeraerts-portrait-of-captain-thomas-lee-t03028.