Roelant Savery facts for kids
Roelant Savery (born in 1576, died in 1639) was a famous painter from the Dutch Golden Age. He was born in Flanders but later moved to the Netherlands. Savery was known for his beautiful paintings of landscapes, animals, and flowers. He is especially famous for his pictures of the dodo, a bird that is now extinct.
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A Painter's Journey
Roelant Savery was born in a town called Kortrijk. When he was about four years old, his family had to leave their home. They were Anabaptists, a religious group, and they were looking for a safer place to live. So, they moved north to the Netherlands and settled in Haarlem around 1585.
Roelant learned how to paint from his older brother, Jacob Savery, and another artist named Hans Bol. These teachers helped him develop his artistic skills.
Working for Emperors
Around 1604, after finishing his training, Savery traveled to Prague. There, he became a special painter for two powerful rulers: Emperor Rudolf II and Emperor Matthias. Their court was a big center for a style of art called Mannerism.
Between 1606 and 1608, Savery went on a trip to Tyrol. He traveled there to study different kinds of plants. This trip helped him paint very detailed plants in his later works.
Settling Down
Before 1616, Savery moved back to Amsterdam. He lived in a street called Sint Antoniesbreestraat. In 1618, he moved to Utrecht. A year later, he joined the local artist's guild. His nephew, Hans Savery, became his most important helper in his studio.
In 1621, Roelant Savery bought a large house in Utrecht. It had a big garden filled with flowers and plants. Many other painters, like Adam Willaerts, often visited his home. Savery also kept a house in Amsterdam. He continued to teach young artists until the late 1630s.
Roelant Savery's Artworks
Savery mainly painted landscapes. He followed the style of Flemish painters like Gillis van Coninxloo. His landscapes often included many carefully painted animals and plants. Sometimes, his paintings also told a story from mythology or the Bible.
He also painted many beautiful flower still lifes. These paintings showed bouquets of flowers in stone spaces. Sometimes, they included small animals like lizards or insects, or even fallen petals. These flower paintings are considered some of his best work.
His unique painting style was very popular with art collectors. You can find his artworks in many museums across Europe and North America. His detailed drawings, made before he painted, are also highly valued.
Famous Dodo Paintings
Among his most well-known works are several paintings of the dodo. The dodo was a bird that is now extinct. Savery painted these birds between 1611 and 1628. He often showed the dodo in the lower corners of his paintings.
His nephew, Hans Savery (also known as Jan Savery), also painted dodos. Hans probably copied his uncle's dodo pictures. One famous dodo illustration by Hans from 1651 is now in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
Savery and the Dodo
Roelant Savery is famous for painting the dodo more than any other artist. He made at least ten pictures of this extinct bird. His paintings often show the dodo in the bottom corners of the artwork.
One very famous painting from 1626 is called Edwards' Dodo. It was once owned by a bird expert named George Edwards. This painting has become the most recognized image of a dodo. It is now kept at the Natural History Museum in London. Savery's dodo images were used by many other artists who drew or painted dodos later on.
See also
In Spanish: Roelant Savery para niños
