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Historical Artist - Hans Bol (1534 - 1593)
Hans Bol received his early training from his two uncles who were also painters. He then was
the apprentice to a Mechelen watercolorist and tempera painter at the age of fourteen. Because
Bol’s watercolors became so widely reproduced, he began creating miniatures on parchment.
The technique earned him many international clients and a good income. In addition, Bol also
produced several oil paintings, illuminated manuscripts, drawings, and engravings. He preferred
to create landscapes, allegorical and biblical scenes, and genre paintings. Because Bol’s
watercolors became so widely reproduced, he began creating miniatures on parchment. The
technique earned him many international clients and a good income. One of his most famous works
of art is Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, made with watercolours on paper. It was inspired by
Ovid's Metamorphoses, in which the ancient myth of Icarus is told. The painting is a marvelous
example of the art of landscape. Subtle colour transitions, skilful perspective and effective
contrasts between foreground and background, and human figures and the forces of nature, lend
this miniature painting a cosmic dimension. Bol ought to be viewed not only as a superior
miniature painter, but above all as an important artist who played a key role in the development
of landscape art.
Contemporary Dutch Artists
Art Galleries in the Netherlands
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