Marked on the development and characteristics of the historical events that divided the Netherlands early in two distinct areas-a Protestant north and predominantly bourgeois, Holland, and a Catholic south ruled by aristocratic values, Flanders, the Flemish paintings of the seventeenth century was , among many other notable artists, with geniuses of the likes of Rubens and met an important development of genres such as portrait or painting of flowers and still lifes. But while the painters of this century and this area, both major and minor, as well as many different aspects of his art have been the subject of countless studies and even depth, not many works that offer an overview that summarizes the accumulated knowledge about the matter until the present and giving a useful overview for both the general reader interested in the art to the students of its history. In this very purpose - "to present an overview of the Flemish baroque, while furthering the study of the most important painters of the century and a selection of those of his contemporaries and successors that illustrate the best and most characteristic of this art "as expressed in his Preface Nina Ayala Mallory-point the present volume, three chapters that, in response to the genre or genres that grew preferentially, reviews, among many others, such outstanding painters as Jan Brueghel, David Teniers, Jan Michiel Sweerts or Fyt, add another three monographic dedicated to the three outstanding figures of the period: Rubens, Van Dyck and Jordaens.

ABOUT FLEMISH PAINTING

Flemish painting (or Flemish) is the name given to all the painters of today Belgium and the Netherlands since the fifteenth century, XVI and XVII. "Flemish School" is a generic name, the style of Italian schools (eg School Florentine or Sienese School) or modern Barbizon school in France. Flanders was the cradle of the art trade in the XV and XVI. It produced the most important painters of Northern Europe and attracted many young talents of painting from neighboring countries. These painters were invited to work in foreign courts and had influence throughout Europe. Among its output included paintings of the Gothic style, Mannerist and Baroque.

Over time, Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, Leiden and the Netherlands capital, Amsterdam promoted art in the Netherlands, keeping the same name "Flemish" to all the painters of today are the Netherlands and Belgium, although geographically not come from Flanders or work there.

After the Siege of Antwerp, the southern provinces of the Netherlands ( "Flanders") remained under Spanish rule and were separated from the Independent Republic Netherlands. Although many artists fled the religious wars and left the southern Netherlands, the Republic of Holland (see Netherlands Golden Age), Flemish baroque painting flourished, especially in the School of Antwerp in the seventeenth century and may differ:

Flanders: Rubens (1577-1640), Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641) and Jacob Jordaens (1593-1678).

Netherlands: Frans Hals (1584-1666), Rembrandt (1607-1669) and Vermeer of Delft (1632-1675).