Massachusetts Bay Colony

In 1620, the settlers who had migrated to America from Europe, landed in Plymouth Rock and many of them made their way to Massachusetts to make their new homes.  This became The Massachusetts Bay Colony, they landed in Salem, now the site of present day Boston Harbor, and within a couple of years, they had Charlestown. In the ten years that followed, over 20,000 persons from England made their way to Massachusetts' new colony. John Winthrop, an Englishman of Puritan descent was their leader until his death in 1649. Even after his death though, he was remembered for his large part in the first expedition that got them their new home, he was a major sponsor of the expedition. His wealth also fed most of the colony for the first year to two years of living in Massachusetts. Upon their arrival in this new place, the sole inhabitants were Native Americans. In 1640, the Pilgrims began to make a name for themselves in the population, creating families of their own in this new Colony. One of the most noteworthy and remembered events that came to be in 1650, was the colonies changing of the law on adultery. Previously, the government in place had set a law, that punishment due to adulterers was whipping. This law made it a capitol offense and it was punishable by the lifelong wearing of a red "A" on their chest. This "A", for "Adulterer". One of the most famous literary pieces of American history, is Nathaniel Hawthorne's, The Scarlet Letter.

Rene Descartes-- "Cogito Ergo Sum"

Death of Rene Descartes on February 11, 1650. His death was not to be rejoiced, but his life. He was a very well rounded, well traveled, and well versed philosopher. He coined the phrase “ I think, therefore I am”.
Descartes was born on March 31, 1596 in the South of France, where his father was a councilor of Parliament and made sure that his son always had ample opportunity for education. He went to several schools in Europe, finishing his schooling in 1616 with a major focus in philosophy and with a Bachelorette in Law. He spent the next years of his life post graduation studying, reading and writing philosophical essays to keep his mind sharp. Descartes biggest contributions to the world were his philosophical writings. He after spending so many years studying mathematics and science, he was immoveable from the idea that he could use math and science to explain anything in the known physical universe, or nature. He did write many books on those topics as well, but his major focus and passion was philosophy, writing such important pieces as, his first work, Rules for the Direction of the Mind, then Meditations on First Philosophy, and Principles of Philosophy. His views and writings on the intricate and real relationship between mind and body, are still today considered some of the most important ever, and have been used time and time again in the past several centuries. Descartes was a firm believer in Copernicanism, and would have taught it, as well as published his 3 essay work on the subject, had he not heard that Galileo was prosecuted for his writings on the same subject. One of the last and most memorable pieces by Descartes was a book on Psychology, physiology and ethics, entitled, Passions of the Soul. Those were several of his major contributions to the literary, and philosophical world.

Anthony van Dyck and Cornelis Galle

Anthony van Dyck born in 1599 in Antwerp, and almost immediately, or at a very young age at the least, Anthony displayed a natural skill for painting, and by 1609 he was studying under an extremely prosperous artist. "By the age of fifteen he was already a highly accomplished artist. He was admitted to the Antwerp painters' Guild of Saint Luke as a free master by February 1618." (Copyright © 1999-2007, HuntFor.com).
After a few years, he was sent to work for Peter Paul Rubens, the only other artist of the time with a name to compete with van Dyck. The experience of working for and with Rubens  was immensely stupendous for Anthony, even then at a relatively young age. Although he did undoubtedly learn a lot, he spent his life defending his honor as "not a pupil" under Rubens, but an assistant, an associate. He was already an experiences and learned and notable artist by the time he was working with Peter Paul Rubens. From 1620-1628 van Dyck traveled from London, to Italy, and around some within the countries, working and painting as he went. From 1628 - 1632 he spent most of his time in Antwerp. In those years, van Dyck learned a priceless lesson of toning down his Flemish stylistic painting, the robustness of a Flemish painters piece. He focused on elegance, detail, and refinement. This was a lesson that took him some time to learn and perfect, but it stayed with him for the remainder of his years as a painter. van Dyck was not only an inspiration to his follower Cornelis Galle, but a huge inspiration to artists all the way up through the twentieth century, and even now. Though he was robbed of being an old man, and died in 1641 at the age of  42, he did produce some wonderful pieces before he passed on.
This one, entitled Charles I in 3 Positions, was painted between 1635 and 1636 while van Dyck was in London 


This one entitled Jupiter and Antiope, was painted in 1641.
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And this one of the same mythical, heavenly style, is called Cupid and Psyche and it was painted in 1640.
ca. 1640. Cornelis Galle, was a Flemish artist of the Flemish Baroque Movement and he was strongly influenced by Anthony van Dyck. His medium was was engraving and publishing. His father was Philip Galle, who also acted as an instructor to his sons. Cornelis went to Rome and remained there until 1610, when he went to Antwerp and became a member of the city's Guild of St. Luke. Soon after, Galle founded his very own school of engraving, in his own name, and many a note-worthy artist studied at the oeuvre de Cornelis Galle. This one, entitled Durer SP Crucifixion, shows the ever popular religious scene of Christ being Crucified on the cross, which many artist depicted in this era. Here is Galle's famous rendition,

 ca. 1650. Engraved while he was in Antwerp in 1650.
And this one,

Entitled The Triumph of Peace, ca. 1612-1655. This is another engraving of a very religious sentiment.

Baroque Art in 1650

In the seventeenth century, religious art was revitalized through a new style called, Baroque. The most famous Baroque painter of the time, and possibly all time, was Rembrandt. Unlike many other artists whose works were very stylized toward only on specific thing, i.e., landscapes, portraits, still life, etc., Rembrandt was very gifted in that he was skilled in landscapes, portraits,religious scenes, militia paintings, etc. This Baroque style was very realistic, and true to reality, rather than many portraits of costumed, or fantasy costumed Lords and Lady's. In a way, this Baroque style came to art as a "renewal" or "revitalization," but this "revitalization," was a return to antiquity and old ways and styles of art. This Classic style of painting. For painting things as they are. The Baroque Movement was consistent of, "The grand, inspirational and populist style of Baroque Art encompassed architecture, sculpture and painting, and was essentially driven by the Roman Catholic Church's revivalist agenda to enhance its image following the Protestant Revolt of the early 16th century."(© visual-arts-cork.com).
One famous Baroque artist of the time, was named Gaspard Dughet, or Gaspard Poussin. He was of French parents, and himself a in Rome. He dabbled in etching, and found his true calling in landscapes. He got his hand at painting, most likely from his brother-in-law, Nicholas Poussini, who married Gaspard's sister, and gave Gaspard his surname. It is said that Gaspard Poussini was the initiator of the classic landscape, and all that is left of his collection of works to this day, are his ever famous landscape paintings. Fortunate to my assignment, Gaspard's most famous landscapes were painted in 1650 and the early 1650's.
entitled Ideal Landscape, ca. 1650.


entitled; View of Tivoli. ca. 1650.
These are only two of the landscapes that Gaspard produced during the 1650's. But even just in these two, you can see the evident difference in style, and color choice, that lack of people and inhabitant in one, versus nature in the other. Gaspard Poussini was known for his choice in color and dark rich texture for trees and forests, but also we can see how that contrasts and compares with the top landscape, The Ideal landscape.

Rembrandt

The sixteen hundreds, especially the mid-sixteen hundreds, cannot be talked about without mention of Rembrandt Harmenszoo van Rijn. More commonly referred to as simply, Rembrandt,  the Leiden born artist was the eighth of nine children, finished his very prestigious schooling (the only boy in his family to be sent to school, in fact) he started a period of apprenticeship from 1622 to 1624 under the painter Jacob Isaacszoo van Swanenburgh of Italy. Although this apprenticeship was invaluable to Rembrandt, he found himself ever more grateful for his simple half a semester study under Pieter Lastman, the artist from Amsterdam. 1650 was a year nearing the end of the Renaissance, and Rembrandt's later paintings illustrated his ending the Renaissance era. Rembrandt married, and the two had four children, the boy Titus, was the only of them to survive past childhood, and is recognized in the famous paintings, Titus at his Desk, in 1655 and Titus in 1658. As his children died, Rembrandt also tragically became a widow. He soon had sent into his household two women, to help his generally depressed demeanor, raise his spirits, and give a hand with the children. The second of these women, became his common-law wife. Her name was Hendrickje Stoffels, and she rose to public attention in Rembrandt's, Portrait of Hendrickje Stoffels circa 1650.


as well as through this portrait also of the same year

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One more of Rembrandt's pieces, imperative to this time period, is entitled, The Descent from the Cross painted in 1650 and this really embodies a very popular theme in the 1600's. There were many paintings done of Christs Crucifixion, the hill he was crucified on, the on lookers, and his descent from the cross, was one of Rembrandt's more famous pieces of 1650.


and, The blinding of Samson which is not so much about Christ, as Samson, but is still of the historical, biblical aspect.