Anthony van Dyck - Portrait of Gerard Seghers

Gerard SeghersGerard Seghers
at the

Netherlands Institute for Art History The Netherlands Institute for Art History or RKD (Dutch: ), previously Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (RKD), is located in The Hague and is home to the largest art history center in the world. The center specializes in document ...

Frans Jozef Peter Van den Branden, ''Geschiedenis der Antwerpsche schilderschool'', Antwerpen, 1883, pp. 879–884 (c. 17 March 1591 – 18 March 1651) was a

Flemish Flemish may refer to: * Flemish, adjective for Flanders, Belgium * Flemish region, one of the three regions of Belgium *Flemish Community, one of the three constitutionally defined language communities of Belgium * Flemish dialects, a Dutch dialec ...

painter, art collector, and art dealer. After a period of study and residence in Italy, he returned to Flanders where he became one of the leading representatives of the Flemish

Caravaggisti The Caravaggisti (or the "Caravagesques"; singular: "Caravaggista") were stylistic followers of the late 16th-century Italian Baroque painter Caravaggio. His influence on the new Baroque style that eventually emerged from Mannerism was profound. ...

movement. In his later career he abandoned the Caravaggist style and genre motifs to become an important painter of large altarpieces for local churches.Matthias Depoorter, ''Gerard Seghers''
at site of Baroque in the Southern Netherlands

Life

Gerard Seghers was born in

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

, where he was baptized on 17 March 1591. He was the son of innkeeper Jan Seghers and his wife Ida de Neve. He was probably unrelated to the

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

still life A still life (: still lifes) is a work of art depicting mostly wikt:inanimate, inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which are either natural (food, flowers, dead animals, plants, rocks, shells, etc.) or artificiality, human-m ...

painter

Daniel Seghers Daniel Seghers (3December 15902November 1661) was a Flemish Jesuit brother and Flemish Baroque painter, painter who specialized in flower still lifes. He is particularly well known for his contributions to the genre of flower garland painting.I ...

. At the age of 12 he was enrolled as a pupil at the

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 iden ...

in Antwerp. It is not clear who his teacher was.Ph. Rombouts and Th. van Lerius, ''De Liggeren en andere Historische Archieven der Antwerpsche Sint Lucasgilde, onder Zinkspreuk: "Wy Jonsten Versaemt" afgeschreven en bemerkt door Ph. Rombouts en Th. Van Lerius, Advokaet, onder de bescherming van den raed van bestuer der koninklyke Akademie van beeldende Kunsten, van gezegde Stad'', Volume 1, Antwerp, 1872, pp. 424, 446 Possibly he trained under

Abraham Janssens Abraham Janssens I, Abraham Janssen I or Abraham Janssens van Nuyssen (1575–1632) was a Flemish Painting, painter, who is known principally for his large religious and mythological works, which show the influence of Caravaggio. He was the lead ...

Hendrick van Balen Hendrick van Balen or Hendrick van Balen I (c. 1573–1575 – 17 July 1632) was a Flemish Baroque painter and stained glass designer. Hendrick van Balen specialised in small cabinet pictures often painted on a copper support. His favourite ...

or Caspar de Crayer (the father of the more famous

Gaspar de Crayer Gaspar de Crayer or Jasper de CrayerName variations: Caspar de Crayer and Gaspard de Crayer (18 November 1584 – 27 January 1669) was a Flemish painter known for his many Counter-Reformation altarpieces and portraits. He was a court painter ...

Gerard Seghers - Saint Sebastian comforted by an Angel

In 1608, only aged 17, he became a master in the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke. In 1611 Seghers joined the ''Sodaliteit der Bejaarde Jongmans'' (Society of Bachelors of Age), a fraternity for bachelors established by the

order. The Society's membership consisted principally of citizens from the elite and wealthy middle classes including artists and merchants. Through their membership of the Society, artists were able to access an important network of contacts which could benefit their careers.L. Kelchtermans, 'Nieuwe biografische gegevens over Peter Snayers (1592-1667) en de Sodaliteit der Bejaarde Jongmans'
Phoebus Findings He travelled to Italy where around 1611 he was in Naples working for the Spanish viceroy

Pedro Fernández de Castro, Count of Lemos Pedro Fernández de Castro y Andrade (1576–1622), better known as the Great Count of Lemos, was a Galician (Spanish) nobleman who was viceroy of Naples between 1610-1616, and was also president of the Council of the Indies and Council of Italy ...

. He later moved to Rome where he worked for Cardinal

Antonio Zapata y Cisneros Antonio Zapata y Cisneros, also listed as Zapata y Mendoza,Salvador Miranda (Madrid, 8 October 1550 – Madrid, c. 27 April 1635) was a Spanish bishop. He served as bishop of Cádiz and Pamplona, archbishop of Burgos, cardinal, councillor of ...

and the Spanish ambassador. In Rome he encountered the followers of

Caravaggio Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (also Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi da Caravaggio; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), known mononymously as Caravaggio, was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the fina ...

, who had himself died a few years before Seghers' arrival in Rome. One in particular,

Bartolomeo Manfredi Bartolomeo Manfredi (baptised 25 August 1582 – 12 December 1622) was an Italian painter, a leading member of the Caravaggisti (followers of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio) of the early 17th century. Life Manfredi was born in Ostiano, ...

, had a significant impact on his early work. Manfredi was one of the closest followers of Caravaggio and was at the height of his fame when Seghers arrived in Rome. Seghers fell strongly under the spell of Manfredi's work.Gerard Seghers, ''A musical company''
at Sotheby's He likely also met the Dutch and Flemish Caravaggisti residing in Rome such as

Gerard van Honthorst Gerard van Honthorst (Dutch: ''Gerrit van Honthorst''; 4 November 1592 – 27 April 1656) was a Dutch Golden Age painting, Dutch Golden Age painter who became known for his depiction of artificially lit scenes, eventually receiving the nickn ...

Dirck van Baburen Dirck Jaspersz. van Baburen ( – 21 February 1624) was a Dutch people, Dutch Painting, painter and one of the Utrecht School, Utrecht Caravaggisti. Biography Dirck van Baburen was probably born in Wijk bij Duurstede, but his family moved to ...

, and

Jan Janssens Jan JanssensJan Janssens
at the

Hendrik ter Brugghen and

Theodoor Rombouts Theodoor Rombouts (2 July 1597 – 14 September 1637) was a Flanders, Flemish painter who is mainly known for his Caravaggism, Caravaggesque genre painting, genre scenes depicting lively dramatic gatherings as well as religiously themed works. ...

. He is believed to have worked on commissions for, and sent his works, to the Antwerp art merchants Goetkint. Seghers further used his stay in Italy to continue his training as a painter and make copies after famous Italian paintings. Cardinal Cisneros convinced Seghers to go to Madrid. He traveled there in 1616 with the Italian painters

Bartolomeo Cavarozzi Bartolomeo Cavarozzi (1587–1625),Francucci, Massimo (2012). "Biographies of Artists", 356 p. In Rossella Vodret (ed.) Caravaggio's Rome: 1600–1630. Vol-II. Skira Editore S.p.A., Milan. 854 pp. occasionally referred to as Bartolomeo Crescenz ...

and

Giovanni Battista Crescenzi Giovanni Battista Crescenzi (1577–1635) was an Italian painter and architect of the early-Baroque period, active in Rome and Spain, where he helped decorate the pantheon of the Spanish kings at El Escorial. He rose to prominence as an artist du ...

. He reported later that at the time he was in the service of King

Philip III of Spain Philip III (; 14 April 1578 – 31 March 1621) was King of Spain and King of Portugal, Portugal (where he is known as Philip II of Portugal) during the Iberian Union. His reign lasted from 1598 until his death in 1621. He held dominion over the S ...

. The lack of mention of the artist in contemporary Spanish sources casts some doubt on this alleged sojourn in Spain.Jahel Sanzsalazar, ''Gérard Seghers, pintor en grande y en pequeño. Nuevas pinturas identificadas'', Localización: Archivo español de arte, ISSN 0004-0428, Tomo 80, Nº 319, 2007, p,. 323-332 He was back in Antwerp in the fall of 1620 and the following year he assisted Rubens in the decoration of the

Saint Carolus Borromeus church St. Charles Borromeo Church () is a Roman Catholic church in central Antwerp, Belgium, located on the Hendrik Conscienceplein. It was built in 1615–1621 as the Jesuit church of Antwerp, which was closed in 1773. It was rededicated in 1779 to Sai ...

of Antwerp.Biography of Gerard Seghers
at the

National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art is an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of charge, the museum was privately established in ...

In 1621 Seghers married Catharina Wouters (d.1656) who came from a respected family. The couple would have eleven children of whom one, Jan Baptist (1624–1670), also became a painter. Their daughter Constantia (1632–?) became an art dealer and was registered as such in the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke.Constantia Seghers
at the

In 1624 he became a consultor of the Sodality of the Married Men of Age ('Sodaliteit der getrouwden'), a fraternity of married men established by the Jesuit order. It is assumed that in the period 1624 to 1627 he visited or resided in

Utrecht Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...

where he would have met the leading Carravagist Gerard van Honthorst whom he likely knew from Rome. In Antwerp Seghers was successful as a painter and art dealer and was able to afford a house on the fashionable Meir. He was patronized by many monastic orders, including the Jesuits, who commissioned altarpieces from him. He was employed by the city authorities of both Antwerp and Ghent as one of the many artists working on the festive decorations for the

Joyous Entry A Joyous Entry (; ) is a ceremonial event marking the entry into a city by a monarch, prince, duke, or governor in parts of modern-day Belgium. Originating in the Middle Ages, it generally coincided with the affirmation or extension of the city' ...

Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand (also known as Don Fernando de Austria, Cardenal-Infante Fernando de España and as Ferdinand von Österreich; 16 May 1609 – 9 November 1641) was a Spanish and Portuguese prince (Infante of Spain, Infante of Portugal (u ...

, the new governor of the

Spanish Netherlands The Spanish Netherlands (; ; ; ) (historically in Spanish: , the name "Flanders" was used as a '' pars pro toto'') was the Habsburg Netherlands ruled by the Spanish branch of the Habsburgs from 1556 to 1714. They were a collection of States of t ...

, in 1635. Seghers' contribution to the Ghent decorations was based on a design by Rubens and was later engraved by Jacob Neefs with the title ''Belgica implores Charles V to let Ferdinand rule the country'' and published by Jan van Meurs in Antwerp in a publication on the Joyous Entry into Ghent. Seghers was appointed

court painter A court painter was an artist who painted for the members of a royal or princely family, sometimes on a fixed salary and on an exclusive basis where the artist was not supposed to undertake other work. Painters were the most common, but the cour ...

to the Cardinal-Infante on 25 June 1637. It is possible that in the 1640s he spent some time in Amsterdam. Seghers' work found an eager market abroad, in particular in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, thanks to the strong political links between Spain and Flanders as well as Seghers' personal connections with important Spanish personalities such as Cardinal Cisneros. Seghers served as the dean of the Antwerp Guild of St. Luke in 1645. Seghers was a member of the

chamber of rhetoric Chambers of rhetoric () were dramatic societies in the Low Countries. Their members were called Rederijkers (singular Rederijker), from the French word 'rhétoricien', and during the 15th and 16th centuries were mainly interested in dramas and l ...

called

Violieren The Violieren (wallflower or gillyflower) was a chamber of rhetoric that dates back to the 15th century in Antwerp, when it was a social drama society with close links to the Guild of Saint Luke.A. A. Keersmaekers, ''Geschiedenis van de Antwerpse R ...

since his return to Antwerp in 1620. He further joined the

Guild of Romanists The Guild of Romanists or Confrérie van romanisten was a society which was active in Antwerp from the late 16th to the late 18th century. Its membership was made up of notables and artists from Antwerp who had visited Rome. It offered artists acce ...

. The Guild of Romanists was a society of notables and artists which was active in Antwerp from the 16th to 18th century. It was a condition of membership that the member had visited Rome. In the year 1637 the Guild of Romanists chose Seghers as its dean. By the time he died in Antwerp in 1651, Seghers was a wealthy man who owned a comfortable house and an extensive art collection. He had many pupils including his son Jan Baptist,

Peter Franchoys Peter, Peeter or Pieter Franchoys or Francois (1606 in Mechelen – 1654 in Mechelen) was a Flemish Baroque painter, who is mainly known for his portraits and religious paintings. Life He studied painting with his father, Lucas Franchoys the El ...

, Frans Lucas Peters (I), Pieter Verbeeck (II), and

Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert (1613 – 23 January 1654) was a Dutch Republic-born Flemish Baroque painter. Biography Willeboirts Bosschaert was born in Bergen op Zoom, where his Catholic family had moved in the late sixteenth century. He moved ...

Work

Seghers is known mainly for his monumental

genre painting Genre painting (or petit genre) is the painting of genre art, which depicts aspects of everyday life by portraying ordinary people engaged in common activities. One common definition of a genre scene is that it shows figures to whom no identity ca ...

s and large religious and allegorical works. He completed many altarpieces for churches in the Southern Netherlands. Most of his works are executed in a characteristic landscape (horizontal) format. The Denial of St

Stylistically and thematically, Seghers was initially strongly influenced by Caravaggio and in particular the work of Bartolomeo Manfredi, a follower of Caravaggio, who championed an idealised form of Caravaggism. Caravaggism, both in

history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

and monumental

s, continued to mark Seghers's work after his return to Antwerp. In contrast to Caravaggio, Seghers preferred a more idealised treatment of his subjects. The influence of the Caravaggisti is seen in his reliance on

chiaroscuro In art, chiaroscuro ( , ; ) is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to ach ...

, close-ups and an exaggerated expression for dramatic effect. He often used figures to obscure the light source (often candlelight) for dramatic effect. A work from this early period is his '' Judith with the Head of Holofernes'' in the

Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica The Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica or National Gallery of Ancient Art is an art museum in Rome, Italy. It is the principal national collection of older paintings in Rome – mostly from before 1800; it does not hold any antiquities. It has two s ...

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

as well as '' The Denial of Saint Peter'' in the

North Carolina Museum of Art The North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) is an art museum in Raleigh, North Carolina. It opened in 1956 as the first major museum collection in the country to be formed by state legislation and funding. Since the initial 1947 appropriation that ...

.Seghers, Gerard
at Prado Enciclopedia online Favourite themes were scenes of music making and card playing. The theme of the ''Denial of Saint Peter'' seems to have been particularly dear to him as at least 10 versions by his hand are known. The theme lent itself easily to genre treatment. Seghers was mainly interested in depicting people of flesh and blood, preferably in a moment of crisis which allowed the artist to paint their various facial expressions. The masked candle he used heightened the expressiveness and added a spiritual dimension. Many copies of his versions of this theme were produced by himself and his studio. The Flemish painter

Michael Angelo Immenraet Michael Angelo Immenraet (1621–1683) was a Flemish history painting, history and portrait painter who is mainly remembered for a lavish Flemish Baroque painting, Baroque painting series of biblical scenes that he produced for the Unionskirche, ...

repeated one of Seghers' variation on the theme in his programme of decorative paintings on biblical themes he painted for the

Unionskirche, Idstein The Unionskirche (Union Church) is the active Protestant parish church of Idstein, a town in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis, Rheingau-Taunus district in the German state of Hesse. Idstein was a residence of the House of Nassau, counts of Nassau. The ...

in Germany. Gerard Seghers - Lute player

After 1630, his palette lightened up considerably and the dark background was replaced by architectural motifs, clouds and landscape elements. The realistic facial expressions became more Classicist and he used more variations of colour. These changes reflected the influence of

Peter Paul Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens ( ; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish painting, Flemish artist and diplomat. He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque painting, Flemish Baroque tradition. Rubens' highly charged comp ...

with whom Seghers closely collaborated during the 1630s. This influence went even so far that in his painting the ''Adoration of the Magi'' (1630,

Church of Our Lady, Bruges The Church of Our Lady () is a Roman Catholic church in Bruges, Belgium, dating mainly from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. Its tower remains the tallest structure in the city and the third tallest brickwork tower in the world (after St. Mary ...

) he adopted Rubens' composition for his treatment of the same subject. It is with this style that he achieved his greatest success in his career. His most important and most characteristic works were painted between 1630 and 1640. Afterwards, he changed to a more gracious and elegant, but also less monumental style. His colours became weaker and the draperies more linear. While Seghers typically worked on a large scale, he also produced various works on a small scale and on copper for the export market or private use. These smaller works were often reduced copies or variations of his own works.Gerard Seghers, ''The Annunciation''
at Sotheby's Many of Seghers' compositions were engraved by Antwerp engravers such as Jacob Neefs,

Paulus Pontius Paulus Pontius (May 1603 – 16 January 1658) was a Flemish engraver and painter. He was one of the leading engravers connected with the workshop of Peter Paul Rubens. After Rubens' death, Pontus worked with other leading Antwerp painters suc ...

and

Schelte a Bolswert Schelte a Bolswert or Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert (c. 1586 – 1659) was a Frisian engraver who worked most of his career in Antwerp where he was one of the lead engravers in Rubens' workshop. He is known for his reproductive works after Peter Paul ...

. These prints have assisted in attributing a number of paintings that were deemed lost to Gerard Seghers.Jahel Sanzsalazar, ''Gérard Seghers y el Marqués de Leganés : nuevas pinturas identificadas'', in: Goya. Revista de Arte (2009) 329, pp. 283–293

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Seghers, Gerard Flemish Baroque painters Flemish history painters Flemish genre painters Painters from Antwerp 1591 births 1651 deaths Caravaggisti Catholic painters