Abraham Storck (or Sturckenburch) (bapt. 17 April 1644 in Amsterdam – buried 8 April 1708), was a Dutch painter, who enjoyed a reputation for his marine paintings, topographical views and Italianate harbour scenes.Abraham Storck at 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 ...
Storck was also an outstanding draughtsman.
Life
Storck was baptized in the
Noorderkerk
The Noorderkerk ("northern church") is a 17th-century Protestant church in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. A number of other towns in the Netherlands also have a Noorderkerk church, including The Hague, Hoorn and Kampen. History
The church was built i ...
, a Protestant church in the Jordaan. His father was the painter Jan Jansz Sturck (or Johannes Storck) (1603-1673), from
Wesel
Wesel () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district.
Geography
Wesel is situated at the confluence of the Lippe River and the Rhine.
Division of the city
Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighove ...
; his mother was Teuntje (Apolonia) Jacobs. The couple married in 1628. Storck had two brothers, who were also painters using the name Sturckenburch until c. 1688 after which they started calling themselves Storck or Sturck.Biography of A. Storck, National Maritime Museum Greenwich /ref> It is likely they were all trained with their father in the family workshop and joined the local
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 ...
, otherwise it was impossible to sell any painting.
Circa 1666 Storck established his workshop producing naval, harbor scenes as well as landscape paintings and city scapes. In 1670 he traveled with his brother Jacob and worked in Germany. In 1694, at age 49, he married the widow Neeltje Pieters van Meyservelt. At the end of his life he lived on Kattenburg near the harbour.
Work
Storck's marine and river scenes were influenced by the two Willem van de Veldes (
the elder
''The Elder'' is an independent film adaptation of the 1981 Kiss concept album, ''Music from "The Elder"''. The film's plot derives from that concept, devised by Kiss co-founder Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons (born Chaim Witz; he, חיים ו ...
Jan Abrahamsz Beerstraaten
Jan Abrahamsz Beerstraaten (bapt. 1 March 1622 in Amsterdam – buried in July 1666 in Amsterdam?) was a Dutch painter of marine art and landscapes, particularly of events of the First Anglo-Dutch War and Dutch-Swedish War.
Biography
There i ...
.Margarita Russell. "Storck (i)." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 5 Jan. 2016
Storck, influenced by
Jan Baptist Weenix
Jan Baptist Weenix, also spelled Jan Baptiste Weeninx (1621–c. 1659) was a painter of the Dutch Golden Age. Despite his relatively brief career, he was a very productive and versatile painter. His favourite subjects were Italian land ...
, produced fantastical views of Mediterranean ports, which place merchant shipping a midst architectural ruins, depicted in the crystal-clear colours of Italian art of the period. This type of scene anticipated the popular 18th-century Italian capriccio. He depicted ships' rigging and technical details with considerable accuracy, which likely shows the influence of the van de Veldes. His Dutch harbour and river views often include recreational and ceremonial aspects of shipping. He paid particular attention to the display of pleasure yachts, ceremonial gatherings of ships, the passengers and bystanders.
Storck painted some winter scenes, which are inspired by the example of Jan Abrahamsz Beerstraaten and his son
Anthonie Beerstraaten
Anthonie Beerstraaten (4 February 1646, in Amsterdam – after 1665), was a Dutch Golden Age painter.
Biography
According to the RKD his works are confused with those of Jan Abrahamsz Beerstraaten and Abraham Beerstraaten, who were his fath ...