Gerard van Spaendonck (22 March 1746 – 11 May 1822) was a Dutch

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

Life

Gerard was born in

Tilburg Tilburg () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, in the southern province of North Brabant. With a population of 222,601 (1 July 2021), it is the second-largest city or municipality in North Brabant after Eindhoven and the seventh-larg ...

, an older brother of

Cornelis van Spaendonck Cornelis van Spaendonck (7 December 1756 – 22 December 1839) was a Dutch painter who was a native of Tilburg. Spaendonck initially worked under artist Guillaume-Jacques Herreyns (1743–1827) in Antwerp, and in 1773 moved to Paris to stu ...

(1756–1840), who was also an accomplished artist. In the 1760s he studied with decorative painter

Willem Jacob Herreyns Willem Jacob HerreynsName variations: Guillaume Jacques Herreyns, Willem Jacob Herreijns, Willem Jacob Herrijns, Willem Jacob Herryns, Guillaume Jacques Herreijns (Antwerp, 10 June 1743 – Antwerp, 10 August 1827) was a Flemish painter of histor ...

(also known as Guillaume-Jacques Herreyns) (1743–1827) 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,

. In 1769 he moved to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, where in 1774 he was appointed

miniature painter A portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting, usually executed in gouache, watercolor, or enamel. Portrait miniatures developed out of the techniques of the miniatures in illuminated manuscripts, and were popular among 16th-century eli ...

in the court of

Louis XVI Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...

. In 1780 he succeeded Madeleine Françoise Basseporte (1701–1780) as professor of floral painting at the Jardin des Plantes, and shortly afterwards was elected as a member of the

Académie des beaux-arts An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...

. Among his pupils were

Pierre-Joseph Redouté Pierre-Joseph Redouté (, 10 July 1759 – 19 June 1840), was a painter and botanist from Belgium, known for his watercolours of roses, lilies and other flowers at the Château de Malmaison, many of which were published as large, coloured s ...

and

Henriette Vincent Henriette Vincent (1786–1834) was an early 19th-century botanical painter at the French court. Early life Henriette Antoinette Rideau du Sal was born in Brest, France, in May 1786. Her father, Marcel-Henry Rideau du Sal, was a naval chief com ...

. Gerard van Spaendonck painted with both

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...

and

watercolors Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (British English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin ''aqua'' "water"), is a painting method”Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to t ...

. He contributed over fifty works to '' Les Vélins du Roi'', a famous collection of

botanical Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

watercolors possessed by French royalty. From 1799 to 1801 he published twenty-four plates of ''Fleurs Dessinees d'apres Nature'' (Flowers Drawn from Life), which were high-quality engravings for students of floral painting. Today, Spaendonck's ''Fleurs Dessinées d'après Nature'' is a highly treasured book on

floral art Floral design or flower arrangement is the art of using plant materials and flowers to create an eye-catching and balanced composition or display. Evidence of refined floristry is found as far back as the culture of ancient Egypt. Professionally ...

. In 1788 he was appointed adviser to the Académie, and in 1795 became a founding member of the

Institut de France The (; ) is a French learned society, grouping five , including the Académie Française. It was established in 1795 at the direction of the National Convention. Located on the Quai de Conti in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the institute m ...

. In 1804 he received the

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

and soon afterwards was ennobled by

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

. Spaendonck died in

in 1822 and is buried in the

Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (french: Cimetière du Père-Lachaise ; formerly , "East Cemetery") is the largest cemetery in Paris, France (). With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Notable figures ...

Gallery

Image:Gerard Van Spaendonck - Bouquet.jpg, ''Bouquet of tulips, roses and an opium poppies, with a pale clouded yellow butterfly, a red longhorn beetle and a sevenspotted ladybug'' Image:Gerard Van Spaendonck - Still Life.jpg, ''Still life of flowers in a basket with two butterflies, a dragonfly, a fly and a beetle near an alabaster urn on a marble pedestal'' Image:Gerard Van Spaendonck - Jacinthe.jpg, ''Jacinthe double''. Image:Gerard Van Spaendonck - Tulipe.jpg, ''Tulipe des jardins.''

References

Arader Galleries
Gerard van Spaendonck biography

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spaendonck, Gerard van Dutch male painters 1746 births 1822 deaths People from Tilburg Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery Members of the Académie des beaux-arts 18th-century Dutch painters 18th-century Dutch male artists 19th-century Dutch painters Flower artists Recipients of the Legion of Honour 19th-century Dutch male artists