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Abraham Govaerts (1589 – 9 September 1626) was a Flemish painter who specialized in small cabinet-sized forest
Flemish Art and Architecture, 1585–1700
'. Pelican History of Art. New Haven: Yale University Press, pp. 180–181.
at Gallerie Lowet de Wotrenge He became a master in Antwerp's
at the
Govaerts was a landscape specialist, and was known for his wooded landscapes which included a diminutive 
As was common at the time, Govaerts often collaborated with other artists who were specialists in specific genres. Govaerts would take care of the landscape while these specialists painted the figures, animals or still life elements. He collaborated often with members of the Francken family such as Frans Francken the Younger and Abraham Govaerts and Hendrik van Balen, ''Bacchus, Venus and Ceres, an allegory of Autumn''
at Christie's An example of such a collaboration is the composition '' An elegant couple strolling through the forest'' where Govaerts had the assistance of
Abraham Govaerts (1589 – 9 September 1626) was a Flemish painter who specialized in small cabinet-sized forest landscape
A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...
s in the manner of Jan Brueghel the Elder
Jan Brueghel (also Bruegel or Breughel) the Elder (, ; ; 1568 – 13 January 1625) was a Flemish painter and draughtsman. He was the son of the eminent Flemish Renaissance painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder. A close friend and frequent collabora ...
and Gillis van Coninxloo
Gillis van Coninxloo (now also referred to as Gillis van Coninxloo II but previously referred to as Gillis van Coninxloo III) (24 January 1544 – January 1607) was a Flemish painter of landscapes who played an important role in the development ...
. He was a regular collaborator with other artists who were specialists in specific genres. Govaerts would paint the landscape while these specialists painted the figures, animals or still life elements.Hans Vlieghe (1998). Flemish Art and Architecture, 1585–1700
'. Pelican History of Art. New Haven: Yale University Press, pp. 180–181.
Life
He was born in Antwerp where his father was an art dealer. There is no information on his training. In view of the influence on his early oeuvre of Jan Brueghel the Elder, some believe he may have apprenticed in the latter's workshop but there is no evidence for this.Abraham Govaerts and Sebastiaen Vrancx, ''An elegant couple strolling through the forest''at Gallerie Lowet de Wotrenge He became a master in Antwerp's
Guild of Saint Luke
The Guild of Saint Luke was the most common name for a city guild for painters and other artists in early modern Europe, especially in the Low Countries. They were named in honor of the Evangelist Luke, the patron saint of artists, who was ide ...
in 1607–1608.
He married Isabella Gielis , with whom he had two daughters named Isabella and Suzanna. He was active throughout his career in Antwerp. He became deacon of the local Guild of Saint Luke in 1623.Abraham Govaertsat the
Netherlands Institute for Art History
The Netherlands Institute for Art History or RKD (Dutch: RKD-Nederlands Instituut voor Kunstgeschiedenis), previously Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (RKD), is located in The Hague and is home to the largest art history center i ...
He trained several artists including Alexander Keirincx, Nicolaes Aertsens and Gysbrecht van der Berch.Hans Devisscher. "Govaerts, Abraham", ''Grove Art Online''. Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, ccessed 31 October 2016
He was one of the many people who died during an epidemic in Antwerp. He died on 9 September 1626 and his wife followed him in death a few days later on 13 September 1626. After his premature death, his unfinished works were completed by a number of artists including Alexander Keirincx, Jasper van der Lanen, Jasper Adriaenssens, Nicolaes Aertsens, Antoon Bellieur, Peter Meulevelt and Jan Viers.Frans Jozef Peter Van den Branden, ''Geschiedenis der Antwerpsche schilderschool'', Antwerpen, 1883, p. 462
Work
Govaerts was a landscape specialist, and was known for his wooded landscapes which included a diminutive history
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
, mythological or biblical
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
subject or a hunting scene. His landscapes initially followed the Mannerist
Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, ...
style of the three-colour ''world landscape
The world landscape, a translation of the German ''Weltlandschaft'', is a type of composition in Western painting showing an imaginary panoramic landscape seen from an elevated viewpoint that includes mountains and lowlands, water, and buildings. ...
'' in which the figures are bracketed by repoussoir
In two-dimensional works of art, such as painting, printmaking, photography or bas-relief, ''repoussoir'' (, ''pushing back'') is an object along the right or left foreground that directs the viewer's eye into the composition by bracketing ( fra ...
trees. His palette at the time exaggerated the brown foreground and the blue tones in the foliage. An example is the composition ''Diana and Actaeon'' ( Pushkin Museum, Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
).
Another major influence was the landscape painter Gillis van Coninxloo. A painting entitled '' Landscape with River Vale and Falcon Hunt'' ( Museum Mayer van den Bergh, Antwerp) is inspired by the work of 
Joos de Momper
Joos de Momper the Younger or Joost de Momper the Younger (1564February5, 1635) was a Flemish landscape painter active in Antwerp between the late 16th century and the early 17th century. Brueghel's influence is clearly evident in many of de Momp ...
.
From 1620 onwards the Mannerist aspect of his palette was replaced by pure and brilliant colours applied in light stippling. He juxtaposed various colours to achieve gradual shading and gentle transitions. This style was more reminiscent of the work of Jan Breughel the Elder. He strived for a dynamic effect in his work by placing dramatic and contorted tree trunks in the foreground and using stark light–dark effects.
As was common at the time, Govaerts often collaborated with other artists who were specialists in specific genres. Govaerts would take care of the landscape while these specialists painted the figures, animals or still life elements. He collaborated often with members of the Francken family such as Frans Francken the Younger and Ambrosius Francken I
Ambrosius Francken I (1544–1618) was a Flemish people, Flemish painter known for his religious works and historical allegories painted in a late Mannerist style. He was a prominent member of the Francken family of artists, which played a ve ...
. Other collaborators included Sebastiaen Vrancx
Sebastiaen Vrancx, Sebastiaan Vrancx or Sebastian Vranckx (; 22 January 1573 – 19 May 1647) was a Flemish Baroque painter, draughtsman and designer of prints who is mainly known for his battle scenes, a genre that he pioneered in Netherlandish ...
and Hendrick van Balen
Hendrick van Balen or Hendrick van Balen I (c. 1573–1575 in Antwerp – 17 July 1632 in Antwerp) was a Flemish Baroque painter and stained glass designer. Hendrick van Balen specialised in small cabinet pictures often painted on a copper ...
.at Christie's
Sebastiaen Vrancx
Sebastiaen Vrancx, Sebastiaan Vrancx or Sebastian Vranckx (; 22 January 1573 – 19 May 1647) was a Flemish Baroque painter, draughtsman and designer of prints who is mainly known for his battle scenes, a genre that he pioneered in Netherlandish ...
who painted the figures and dog in the landscape. A landscape composition painted in collaboration with 
Frans Francken the Younger
Frans Francken the Younger (1581 in Antwerp, 1581 – 6 May 1642, in Antwerp) was a Flemish painter who created altarpieces and furniture panels and gained his reputation chiefly through his small and delicate cabinet pictures with historical, m ...
(Château de Compiègne) showing an open view of a river is uncharacteristic for his oeuvre.
References
External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Govaerts, Abraham Flemish Baroque painters Flemish landscape painters 1589 births 1626 deaths Painters from Antwerp