The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (319 page)
Read The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists Online
Authors: Ian Chilvers
Moilliet , Louis
(1880–1962).
Swiss painter. From his youth he was a friend of Paul
Klee
; Moilliet introduced Klee to the
Blaue Reiter
group in 1911, and in 1914 he accompanied him and
Macke
to Tunisia on a journey whose repercussions on the development of expressive abstraction have become famous in the history of 20th-cent. art. He passed the war years in Switzerland and then in 1919 began extensive travel, after which he lived in seclusion at La Tour de Peiltz on Lake Geneva. Moilliet was at his best as a watercolourist, achieving a brilliant transparency of colour in his landscapes. He also designed stained glass for churches.
Swiss painter. From his youth he was a friend of Paul
Klee
; Moilliet introduced Klee to the
Blaue Reiter
group in 1911, and in 1914 he accompanied him and
Macke
to Tunisia on a journey whose repercussions on the development of expressive abstraction have become famous in the history of 20th-cent. art. He passed the war years in Switzerland and then in 1919 began extensive travel, after which he lived in seclusion at La Tour de Peiltz on Lake Geneva. Moilliet was at his best as a watercolourist, achieving a brilliant transparency of colour in his landscapes. He also designed stained glass for churches.
Mola , Pier Francesco
(1612–66).
Italian
Baroque
painter, active mainly in Rome. Although he trained there with
Cesari
and in Bologna with
Albani
, his style, characterized by warm colouring and soft modelling, was formed mainly on the example of
Guercino
and Venetian art (his early career is not well documented, but he probably spent most of the period 1633–47 in north Italy). He painted frescos in Roman churches and palaces, and his best-known painting is the striking
Barbary Pirate
(Louvre, Paris, 1650), but his most characteristic works are fairly small canvases with religious or mythological figures set in landscapes (two examples are in the National Gallery, London). They are somewhat reminiscent of Albani, but much freer, and closer in spirit to Salvator
Rosa
, with whom Mola was one of the chief representatives of a distinctively romantic strain in Roman painting in the mid 17th cent.
Italian
Baroque
painter, active mainly in Rome. Although he trained there with
Cesari
and in Bologna with
Albani
, his style, characterized by warm colouring and soft modelling, was formed mainly on the example of
Guercino
and Venetian art (his early career is not well documented, but he probably spent most of the period 1633–47 in north Italy). He painted frescos in Roman churches and palaces, and his best-known painting is the striking
Barbary Pirate
(Louvre, Paris, 1650), but his most characteristic works are fairly small canvases with religious or mythological figures set in landscapes (two examples are in the National Gallery, London). They are somewhat reminiscent of Albani, but much freer, and closer in spirit to Salvator
Rosa
, with whom Mola was one of the chief representatives of a distinctively romantic strain in Roman painting in the mid 17th cent.
Molenaer , Jan Miense
(
c.
1610–68).
Dutch painter, active in his native Haarlem and in Amsterdam. In 1636 he married Judith
Leyster
; both belonged in their youth to the circle of Frans
Hals
. He and his wife probably collaborated and sometimes it is difficult to differentiate their work. Molenaer specialized in
genre
scenes, but his range was wide, from pictures of the crude, indecorous activities of peasants to small, exquisitely finished domestic scenes of well-to-do families. He also did portraits and religious scenes. His early works (which are considered his best) have a grey-blond tonality and touches of bright colour, but his later ones are darker, in the manner of
Brouwer
or
Ostade
. He had two painter brothers,
Bartholomaeus
(d. 1650) and
Claes
(d. 1676), both active in Haarlem.
c.
1610–68).
Dutch painter, active in his native Haarlem and in Amsterdam. In 1636 he married Judith
Leyster
; both belonged in their youth to the circle of Frans
Hals
. He and his wife probably collaborated and sometimes it is difficult to differentiate their work. Molenaer specialized in
genre
scenes, but his range was wide, from pictures of the crude, indecorous activities of peasants to small, exquisitely finished domestic scenes of well-to-do families. He also did portraits and religious scenes. His early works (which are considered his best) have a grey-blond tonality and touches of bright colour, but his later ones are darker, in the manner of
Brouwer
or
Ostade
. He had two painter brothers,
Bartholomaeus
(d. 1650) and
Claes
(d. 1676), both active in Haarlem.
Molyn , Pieter de
(1595–1661).
Dutch landscape painter, born in London and active mainly in Haarlem. With Jan van
Goyen
, and Salomon van
Ruysdael
, also active in Haarlem, he ranks as one of the pioneers of naturalistic landscape painting in Holland. It is not known if these three painters worked together, if they arrived at similar solutions independently, or if one of them began experiments with monochromatic pictures of dunes and cottages and the others followed his lead. However,
The Sand Dune
(Herzog-Anton-Ulrich Museum, Brunswick, 1626) by Molyn is earlier than any comparable dated picture by van Goyen or Ruysdael . Molyn's later career was less distinguished, and he seems then to have worked more as a draughtsman than a painter. He also etched.
Dutch landscape painter, born in London and active mainly in Haarlem. With Jan van
Goyen
, and Salomon van
Ruysdael
, also active in Haarlem, he ranks as one of the pioneers of naturalistic landscape painting in Holland. It is not known if these three painters worked together, if they arrived at similar solutions independently, or if one of them began experiments with monochromatic pictures of dunes and cottages and the others followed his lead. However,
The Sand Dune
(Herzog-Anton-Ulrich Museum, Brunswick, 1626) by Molyn is earlier than any comparable dated picture by van Goyen or Ruysdael . Molyn's later career was less distinguished, and he seems then to have worked more as a draughtsman than a painter. He also etched.
Momper , Joos
(or Jodocus ) II de
(or Jodocus ) II de
(1564–1634/5).
Flemish landscape painter, the outstanding member of a family of artists. He worked in his native Antwerp, where he became a master in the guild in 1581, but mountains are so much a prevailing theme in his work that it seems likely he crossed the Alps to Italy at some time in his career. His chief inspiration was
Bruegel
and his work stands half-way between the constructed landscapes of the 16th cent. and the naturalistic landscapes of the 17th cent. He enriched the traditional colour scheme of 16th cent. landscape painting, hitherto largely confined to cool blues and greens, until it ranged from brown to grey via green, yellow, and blue. Judging by the great number of extant pictures in his manner, his work must have enjoyed great popularity. They vary greatly in quality, but the best works that are indisputably from his own hand, for example the majestic
Winter Landscape with the Flight into Egypt
(Ashmolean, Oxford), show that he was one of the greatest landscape painters of his period and worthy to be mentioned in the same breath as Bruegel. His style seems to have changed little and his work is difficult to date. Figures in his paintings are often the work of other artists, notably Jan
Brueghel I
.
Flemish landscape painter, the outstanding member of a family of artists. He worked in his native Antwerp, where he became a master in the guild in 1581, but mountains are so much a prevailing theme in his work that it seems likely he crossed the Alps to Italy at some time in his career. His chief inspiration was
Bruegel
and his work stands half-way between the constructed landscapes of the 16th cent. and the naturalistic landscapes of the 17th cent. He enriched the traditional colour scheme of 16th cent. landscape painting, hitherto largely confined to cool blues and greens, until it ranged from brown to grey via green, yellow, and blue. Judging by the great number of extant pictures in his manner, his work must have enjoyed great popularity. They vary greatly in quality, but the best works that are indisputably from his own hand, for example the majestic
Winter Landscape with the Flight into Egypt
(Ashmolean, Oxford), show that he was one of the greatest landscape painters of his period and worthy to be mentioned in the same breath as Bruegel. His style seems to have changed little and his work is difficult to date. Figures in his paintings are often the work of other artists, notably Jan
Brueghel I
.
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