Article January 7, 2019 Issue

Ah, light!

Kim Shippey

One of the most enthralling art exhibitions at the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston in 2018 included masterpieces by Dutch and Flemish painters.

People who were barely aware of the output of these 17th-century artists, were suddenly entranced by portraits, still lifes, and landscapes they scarcely knew existed. For several weeks the lines outside the museum were so intimidating that the exhibition was extended by four months.

What captivated viewers was the way those painters handled light. Fabrics came alive. The shadows cast by undulating silk fabrics were soft and subtle. Smiling faces were caught through daring brush strokes that outshone even the creative genius of today’s digital world.

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