Carel Fabritius (1622-1654) is generally considered Rembrandt's most talented student, and even Vincent van Gogh expressed his admiration for him. Fabritius excelled in painting history paintings, portraits, still lifes and cityscapes. His interest in light, perspective and trompe l'oeil made him one of the pioneers of the Delft school, of which Johannes Vermeer is the best-known representative.
Unfortunately, Fabritius's promising painting career came to an abrupt end in 1654, when he died in the explosion of the powder magazine in Delft. This tragic event probably resulted in the loss of some of his work. Only about fifteen paintings and a dozen drawings have been preserved to date.
The Goldfinch
One of his well-known works is The Goldfinch. The panel depicts a goldfinch sitting on a pole in front of its feeder, to which it is attached by a chain. In this work of art, Fabritius' talent for trompe-l'oeil painting comes strongly to the fore.
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