Christiaen van Vianen (1598 – 1671) was a Dutch silversmith and draughtsman. He was the son of

Adam van Vianen Adam van Vianen (1568– 1627) was a leading silversmith of the early Dutch Golden Age, who trained as an engraver and was also a medallist. Unlike his brother Paul van Vianen, he spent little time away from his native Utrecht. Together they ...

and worked in his father's

auricular style The auricular style or lobate style (Dutch: ''Kwabstijl'', German: ''Ohrmuschelstil'') is a style of ornamental decoration, mainly found in Northern Europe in the first half of the 17th century, bridging Northern Mannerism and the Baroque. The s ...

as a silversmith and designer, also working in Germany and England. In 1630 he moved to London and set up a successful workshop in

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...

, soon employing nine Dutch silversmiths. His was "the largest alien workshop in London at a time when there were identifiably about 200 foreign goldsmiths, jewellers and engravers working there". As a foreigner he was not allowed to

hallmark A hallmark is an official mark or series of marks struck on items made of metal, mostly to certify the content of noble metals—such as platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium. In a more general sense, the term ''hallmark'' can al ...

his pieces, and so often signed them. A basin, no doubt matching a

ewer In American English, a pitcher is a container with a spout used for storing and pouring liquids. In English-speaking countries outside North America, a jug is any container with a handle and a mouth and spout for liquid – American "pitchers" wil ...

that is now lost, is dated 1635 and is now in the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...

in London, known as the "Silver Dolphin Basin" or "Dolphin Bowl". In the 1640s he employed the engraver Theodor van Kessel to make a book about his father's designs, called ''Modelli Artificiosi di Vasi diversi d'argento et altre Opere capriciozi''. These plates were later reworked in the 1650s into ''Constige modellen van verscheyden silvere vaten en andere sinnighe werken, gevonden ende geteekend door den vermaarden Adam van Vianen, sijnde meerendeels door hem uyt één stuk silver geslagen, uytgegeven door synen soon Christiaen van Vianen tot Utrecht, ende in cooper geetst door Theodor van Kessel''.Later translated as ''Artful Models of Various Silver Vases and Other Capricious Work, invented and drawn by the Respected Adam van Vianen, consisting of 48 plates, published by his son Christiaen van Vianen in Utrecht, and engraved in Copper by Theodor van Kessel''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vianen, Christiaen van 1598 births 1671 deaths Dutch silversmiths