SIMON BALYON
The Dutch Golden Age
Simon Balyon, an artist from Holland, has always tried to learn about the Dutch Old Masters, his country and his family’s legacy. Because of this, he has found inspiration in the 17th-century Dutch Golden Age, a period of economic and artistic wealth. “I want to have balanced compositions and to make beautiful art that reflects my heritage,” he says.
Throughout the month of October, Lotton Gallery will host a new solo exhibition featuring Balyon’s work. The Chicago-based gallery’s director, Christina Franzoso, says, “The booming economy of the Dutch Republic fostered a new genre of painting in the 17th century: the cityscape. Simon Balyon perfectly captures the Dutch cityscapes and countryside of the Golden Age depicting the daily life along the canals, in the city streets and town squares.”
Holland, Balyon says, still has picturesque landscapes with cobblestone walkways and quaint houses in the center of villages. “Sometimes when I see beautiful scenery and have a moment in my country of Holland, I have an idea for a painting,” Balyon says. “When I am in this moment, I imagine how it was in the past, when there
were no highways and modern buildings. I find myself in a fantasy that transports me to a simpler and easier time of the Dutch Golden Age.”
Among his newest works is Rolling Dutch Clouds, which was inspired by “the stories of the Dutch fishermen preparing the boats on the North Sea,” Balyon shares. “When I think of my inspiration, I think of the fishermen’s little houses built on the sand dunes and the clouds rolling by, a perfect combination of beach and sky.”
In another painting, titled Romantic Summer, the river that runs through the middle of the composition was the impetus for the work. “Dutch villagers used the river for sailing between the villages for work,” he explains. “This is something that has always fascinated me, as the river is not only beautiful, but also essential for everyday life.”
Lotton Gallery 900 N. Michigan Avenue, Level 6 • Chicago, IL 60611 • (312) 664-6203 • www.lottongallery.com