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Erasmus de Bie (1629–1675) was a Flemish Baroque painter known for his city views and genre scenes.Erasmus de Bie
at the Netherlands Institute for Art History He depicted several lively scenes of large public celebrations in his hometown of Antwerp. It is not clear whether the views of Italianate cities and landscapes attributed to him are the work of Adriaen de Bie, a Flemish painter from Lier who worked in Italy for a while.Arthur Edwin Bye, 'History of the Bye family and some allied families', Correll Print. Co., 1956
Very little is known about the life of Erasmus de Bie. He was born in
Victoria Art Gallery, Art UKErasmus de Bie (1593–1668), ''Campo Vaccino, Rome''
Victoria Art Gallery, at the National Inventory of Continental European paintings His surviving signatures are in capital letters: ED (in ligature) BIE. His main specialty was the composition of animated townscapes, in particular of city squares. His composition ''The
at Jean Moust Another lively city scene of Antwerp is the ''Figures in front of the frozen Scheldt in Antwerp'' painted in 1670 (Artcurial sale of 13 November 2018 lot 43). It shows a winter landscape of the river Scheldt, seen from the Anwerp quays. The Scheld is frozen solid and several tents and pavilions selling all kinds of food have been constructed on the ice. Several inhabitants of Antwerp are seen playing on the icy river, enjoying banquets and engaging in other amusements during the winter of 1670. The artist depicts various amusing scenes such as a woman on the verge of falling out of a sleigh pulled by a horse, a man defecating on the ice who is being chased way and a couple of men engaged in a brawl. Fellow Antwerp artist
Erasmus de Bie was an accomplished painter of figures and often collaborated with other artists in Antwerp for whom he painted the staffage. This is documented in the papers of the Antwerp art dealers Forchondt, which mention two anonymous church interiors with figures painted by de Bie.
He may have produced Italianate landscapes set among Roman buildings and populated with many figures and animals reminiscent of the style of the group of genre painters active in Rome known as the '' Bamboccianti.'' A painting of the ''Campo Vaccino in Rome'' showing a myriad of figures on the
on the Victoria Art Gallery site The National Inventory of Continental European paintings records that there is an inscription on the front lower left reading 'ED · BIE - 1643', which is similar to Erasmus de Bie's known signature. However, it seems unlikely that a 14-year old who had not travelled outside Antwerp would have been able to paint a painting of this scale and scope. It is therefore possible that the painting was the work of Adriaen de Bie, a Flemish painter from Lier, Belgium who worked in Italy between 1614 and 1622. The work is attributed to Adriaen de Bie on the Art UK website and in various publications.As cited in the National Inventory of Continental European paintings record, the work is attributed to Adriaen de Bie in: Wright, C., Old Master Paintings in Britain: An Index of Continental Old Master Paintings executed before c.1800 in Public Collections in the United Kingdom, London, 1976, p. 17; Sloman, S., Victoria Art Gallery: Concise Catalogue of Paintings and Drawings, Bath, 1991, p. 10; J. De Maere and M. Wabbes, Illustrated Dictionary of Flemish Painters, Brussels, 1994, p. 52.
Erasmus de Bie (1629–1675) was a Flemish Baroque painter known for his city views and genre scenes.Erasmus de Bieat the Netherlands Institute for Art History He depicted several lively scenes of large public celebrations in his hometown of Antwerp. It is not clear whether the views of Italianate cities and landscapes attributed to him are the work of Adriaen de Bie, a Flemish painter from Lier who worked in Italy for a while.Arthur Edwin Bye, 'History of the Bye family and some allied families', Correll Print. Co., 1956
Life
Very little is known about the life of Erasmus de Bie. He was born in Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
, the son of the painter Frans de Bie the Elder. He was baptised on 20 December 1629 in the St. Walburga church in Antwerp.Frans Jozef Peter Van den Branden, ''Geschiedenis der Antwerpsche schilderschool'', Antwerpen, 1883, p. 1028-1029
He became a pupil of David Ryckaert III
David Ryckaert III, David Rijckaert III or David Rijckaert the Younger (2 December 1612, Antwerp - 11 November 1661, Antwerp)Guild of St. 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 Four Evangelists, Evangelist Saint Luke, Luke, the patron sa ...
in 1645-1646.
He married Catharina Douglas, called de Schot (the Scot), and was the father of Frans and Jan Baptist de Bie, who both became painters. Jan Baptist emigrated to Vienna where he remained active.
Erasmus de Bie had pupils in 1660 and in 1666, including his son Frans.
He died in Antwerp in 1675.
Work
Erasmus de Bie is known for his lively city scenes and genre scenes and some landscape paintings. He is also mentioned as the creator of religious scenes and compositions with animals. He is also mentioned as the author of at least one winterscape and two seascapes. It is not clear whether the views of Italianate cities and landscapes attributed to him are the work of Adriaen de Bie, a Flemish painter from Lier who worked in Italy for some time.Adriaen de Bie (1593–1668), ''Campo Vaccino, Rome''Victoria Art Gallery, Art UKErasmus de Bie (1593–1668), ''Campo Vaccino, Rome''
Victoria Art Gallery, at the National Inventory of Continental European paintings His surviving signatures are in capital letters: ED (in ligature) BIE. His main specialty was the composition of animated townscapes, in particular of city squares. His composition ''The
Ommegang
Ommegang or Ommeganck (Dutch: "walk around" (the church, village or city), ) is the generic name for various medieval pageants celebrated in the Low Countries (areas that are now within Belgium, the Netherlands, and northern France).
Ommegang o ...
in Antwerp'' is an example of such a work. It was reinterpreted by various Flemish artists including Alexander van Bredael
Alexander van Bredael (1 April 1663 – 14 July 1720) was a Flemish painter known for Italianate landscapes and genre scenes of fairs, cattle markets and villages.
. It may itself have been inspired by Pieter van Aelst's painting with the same theme.Peter van Aelst, ''The Ommegang on the Meir in Antwerp''at Jean Moust Another lively city scene of Antwerp is the ''Figures in front of the frozen Scheldt in Antwerp'' painted in 1670 (Artcurial sale of 13 November 2018 lot 43). It shows a winter landscape of the river Scheldt, seen from the Anwerp quays. The Scheld is frozen solid and several tents and pavilions selling all kinds of food have been constructed on the ice. Several inhabitants of Antwerp are seen playing on the icy river, enjoying banquets and engaging in other amusements during the winter of 1670. The artist depicts various amusing scenes such as a woman on the verge of falling out of a sleigh pulled by a horse, a man defecating on the ice who is being chased way and a couple of men engaged in a brawl. Fellow Antwerp artist
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 ...
(1573-1647) painted half a century earlier the ''Ice pleasure on the Scheldt in Antwerp'' (
Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum () is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch arts and history and is located in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough of Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the St ...
, Amsterdam) showing a similar view of Antwerp's citizens having fun on the Scheldt.
Erasmus de Bie was an accomplished painter of figures and often collaborated with other artists in Antwerp for whom he painted the staffage. This is documented in the papers of the Antwerp art dealers Forchondt, which mention two anonymous church interiors with figures painted by de Bie.
He may have produced Italianate landscapes set among Roman buildings and populated with many figures and animals reminiscent of the style of the group of genre painters active in Rome known as the '' Bamboccianti.'' A painting of the ''Campo Vaccino in Rome'' showing a myriad of figures on the 
Forum Romanum
The Roman Forum, also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum ( it, Foro Romano), is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient ...
in the collection of the Victoria Art Gallery (Bath, Somerset
Bath () is a city in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary area in the county of Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman-built baths. At the 2021 Census, the population was 101,557. Bath is in the valley of the River Avon, ...
) is attributed to him on the museum's website and on the National Inventory of Continental European paintings.Erasmus de Bie, ''Campo Vaccino, Rome''on the Victoria Art Gallery site The National Inventory of Continental European paintings records that there is an inscription on the front lower left reading 'ED · BIE - 1643', which is similar to Erasmus de Bie's known signature. However, it seems unlikely that a 14-year old who had not travelled outside Antwerp would have been able to paint a painting of this scale and scope. It is therefore possible that the painting was the work of Adriaen de Bie, a Flemish painter from Lier, Belgium who worked in Italy between 1614 and 1622. The work is attributed to Adriaen de Bie on the Art UK website and in various publications.As cited in the National Inventory of Continental European paintings record, the work is attributed to Adriaen de Bie in: Wright, C., Old Master Paintings in Britain: An Index of Continental Old Master Paintings executed before c.1800 in Public Collections in the United Kingdom, London, 1976, p. 17; Sloman, S., Victoria Art Gallery: Concise Catalogue of Paintings and Drawings, Bath, 1991, p. 10; J. De Maere and M. Wabbes, Illustrated Dictionary of Flemish Painters, Brussels, 1994, p. 52.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bie, Erasmus de 1629 births 1675 deaths Artists from Antwerp Flemish Baroque painters Flemish landscape painters Flemish genre painters