The dramatic, firelit paintings of godefridus schalcken dutch 16431706 have inspired artists to adopt, adapt, and duplicate his chiaroscuro style and atmospheric scenes. One film that isnt among them, unfortunately, is leslie megaheys superb schalcken the painter, a 70minute drama based on strange event in the life of schalken the painter 1839 by j. This nocturnal painting, exceptional in its infusion of warm colors, raking luminescent light and beautifully modeled figures, is an important discovery in godfried schalckens oeuvre, and appears to be the prime version of the composition on which two other variants are based. Godfried schalcken painting reproductions for sale 1st. Taking the truly ghastly guise of the invincibly wealthy merchant vanderhausen john justin, he buys rose cheryl kennedy for his wife from the great dutch painter dou maurice denham. The films lyricism and unease are one and the same, letting its slowboil plot to rise to a deadheat before you know it. Schalcken the painter 1979 directed by leslie megahey. In these early years he painted genre and history subjects more than portraits. Schalcken painted figures lit by candlelight, and his paintings are quite atmospheric. Can schalcken save his love, rose, from the clutches of a ghastly suitor before it is too late. Godfried schalcken 16431706 dutch view all 39 artworks. Even worse, its about selling your niece off into marriage to a complete stranger who happens to be disgustingly rich. Dou invites him to dinner, but only to discuss his painting.
Godfried schalcken paintings index page 1 the complete works by artist godfried schalcken. Finally we hear from schalcken director leslie megahey and director of photography john hooper, who spend a whopping 39 minutes in look into the dark discussing the films genesis which resulted in a three year delay so megahey could direct it himself, the source material, and the influence of walerian borowczyk, especially blanche. Rose stands by schalcken as he works and he finally manages to profess his love. Can schalcken save his love, rose, from the clutches of a. Schalken the painter for he is not a man as i am that we should come together. The inspiration for this website was susan seidelmans 1994 short film the dutch master 1994 where the dental hygienist teresa becomes fascinated by a dutch painting in moma. Schalcken the painter is a very strange, very slow gothic horror.
Always custom made on premium grade canvas by european artists. Buy schalcken the painter flipside 028 dual format. Schalcken the painter bfi flipside dual format edition. The architect and the painter 2011 starring james franco on dvd and bluray. I enthused at some length about leslie megaheys 1979 television film schalcken the painter last year so theres no need to repeat myself. Schalcken the painter, one of various television films by leslie megahey that explore the creative nexus between the lives and work of painters, focuses on the. It aired on the bbc as an episode of omnibus on 23 december 1979, following in the tradition of a ghost story for christmas. Schalcken the painter is a british television horror film based on the 1839 story strange event in the life of schalken the painter by sheridan le fanu, and. Following schalcken a collection of paintings inspired. Schalcken is in love with rose, dous niece and ward. He was renowned for his mastery in reproducing the effect of candlelight in the manner of the leiden school of fijnschilders, where he completed his training between 1662 and 1665 in. Bfi flipside presents schalcken the painter dual format edition a film by leslie megahey the flipside. For a short story written in 1839, schalken the painter must have surely been on the majority of banned books lists for its subject matter. World premiere of this highly soughtafter ghost story from the bbc, released in the bfis acclaimed flipside series.
The film selfconsciously enacts what schalcken himself would do, transforming living people into the immobility of art. One of the most frequently requested programmes in the bbc archive, schalcken the painter is an exquisitely shot, atmospheric horror film which explores the. Schalcken the painter looks like a documentary shot inside a dutch golden age painting, out of whose black depths the devil one day materialises. Haunted halfhours how the bbc made christmas creepy. Women here are purchasable commodities, like the paintings. There exists, at this moment, in good preservation a remarkable work of schalkens. The painter, however, did not communicate to his niece the important step which he had taken in her behalf, and his resolution arose not from any anticipation of opposition on her part, but solely from a ludicrous consciousness that if his ward were, as she very naturally might do, to ask him to describe the appearance of the bridegroom whom he. Its primary framing device, using art appreciation as both a pretense and a way to build the horror, is as cold and calculating and disturbing as. Such artists are referred to as followers of schalcken similarly inspired, i have assembled a humble collection of antique dutch candlelit paintings from the 17, 18 and 19th centuries with the goal of rescuing and. The atmosphere of this tv film is incredibly disturbing, and the cast and crew all do a brilliant job to recreate one of the most chilling stories of gothic literature.
Godfried schalcken was a real painter who studied under gerrit dou in leiden holland. Godfried schalcken 16431706 was a dutch genre and portrait painter. It is exquisitely directed, where every scene looks like it is a painting by a dutch master come to life. The tension of the film comes from the glacial pacing and the increasingly bizarre story. Godfried van schalcken 16431706 is an artist born in 1643 the oldest auction result ever registered on the website for an artwork by this artist is a painting sold in 1986, at christies, and the most recent auction result is a painting sold in 2019. Its also one of the eeriest ghost stories ever filmed. The film editor, paul humfress, with whom leslie megahey has worked on all his recent films and who was, incidentally, the cdirector of derek. Schalcken the painter, one of various television films by leslie megahey that explore the creative nexus between the lives and work of painters, focuses on the dutch artist godfried schalcken 16431706, and, like jonathan millers whistle and ill come to you bbc, tx. Between 1680 and 1690, schalcken won international fame for his subtle rendering of natural and artificial light. I guessed well the nature, though not even vaguely the particulars of the revelations i was about to receive, from that fixed face of suffering that so oddly flushed stood out, like a portrait of. Leslie megaheys visually luscious 1979 bbc adaptation of sheridan le fanus short ghost story schalcken the painter published in 1839 makes daring use of what, at the time of its broadcast, would have been considered fairly unconventional and somewhat postmodern means of imitating one of m. It was entered into the th moscow international film festival. The disc is locked for region b the short 70minute film made for television has a very unique visual style that appears to strive to recreate the look of some of the titled artists work, setting up dark.
Schalcken studies under gerrit dou, an apprentice of rembrandt, in leiden in the 1660s. Godfried schalcken dutch baroque era painter, 16431706 guide to pictures of works by godfried schalcken in art museum sites and image archives worldwide. Its composition, showing diana and her nymphs, was first published by the eminent biographercataloguer cornelis. This post serves notice that the film is available at last in another marvellous dualformat release from the bfi, replete with extras, and the usual authoritative booklet notes. Schalcken the painter is a british television horror film based on the 1839 story strange event in the life of schalken the painter by sheridan le fanu, and stars jeremy clyde as godfried schalcken and maurice denham as gerrit dou. Our schalcken paintings are 100% handpainted on canvas by skilled artists.
His first full length film about a painter, the performers bbc, 1972, an exploration of. The paintings characters suddenly take on a life of their own and teresa enters an erotic fantasy world of luxurious colours and sensual costumes. Studio of godfried schalcken 16431706 young girl plucking a duck by candlelight oil on canvas. Let him, therefore, take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me. Next week the bfi releases a box set of the bbcs ghost stories for christmas, a series of hourlong tv films broadcast during the 1970s, most of which were adaptations of stories by mr james. He sees his career at an end and falls into a deep abyss, as the attractive julia appears in his atelier. From the beautiful boy blowing on a firebrand to light a candle, c. Godfried schalcken, dutch genre and portrait painter. Alexander cranach is a young, aspiring painter until an accident takes his eyesight.
Based on sheridan lefanus strange event in the life of schalken the painter 1839, leslie megaheys film is an arty horror piece produced for the omnibus programme, during. After the celebrated portraitist nicolaes maes left for amsterdam in 1673, however, schalcken became dordrechts most popular portrait painter. Its a story of undead bridegrooms, ghostly brides, and necrophilia. World premiere of this highly soughtafter ghost story from the bbc, released in. Learn about the artist and find an indepth biography, exhibitions, original artworks, the latest news, and sold auction prices. Schalcken the painter was directed by leslie megahey the hour of the pig and is based on strange event in the life of schalken the paintera horror story by joseph sheridan le fanu, the author of carmilla.
From 1675 he painted more elegant allegorical subjects and scenes based on ancient literature. With such a cast and pedigree, one would expect fireworks, but schalcken the painter is deliberately paced and not for all. Starting as a genre painter, he followed dous style of fine highly finished painting. Godfried schalcken 1643 1706 national gallery, london. I first learned of schalken the painter while reading joseph sheridan le fanus terrifying supernatural tale green tea, in which a scene is vividly described as resembling one of schalkens portraits. Godfried schalcken paintings for sale godfried schalcken. Bfi presents leslie megaheys schalcken the painter on bluray in its original aspect ratio of 1. It was this inventiveness megahey brought to the dramadocumentary form. With jeremy clyde, maurice denham, cheryl kennedy, john justin. All speak of the painter, a god expected to one day return and finish his creation, but most of. The story follows a young seventeenth century flemish painter godfried schalcken, who forsakes love for ambition, but discovers that there is still a. Based on a short story by sheridan le fanu, schalcken the painter was originally shown in the omnibus strand on bbc 2 during christmas 1979. Schalcken the painter dual format edition a film by leslie megahey. Jeremy clyde, maurice denham, cheryl kennedy, john justin, anne tirard.
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