Jan Ekels the Elder (1725–1780) was a Dutch painter of

veduta A ''veduta'' (Italian for "view"; plural ''vedute'') is a highly detailed, usually large-scale painting or, more often, print of a cityscape or some other vista. The painters of ''vedute'' are referred to as ''vedutisti''. Origins This genre ...

's. His pictures are generally of a small size, and are highly finished, with a good effect of light and shade. He was born near

Oude Kerk, Amsterdam The Oude Kerk (English: Old Church) is Amsterdam’s oldest building and youngest art institutes (since 2012). The building was founded circa 1213 and consecrated in 1306 by the bishop of Utrecht with Saint Nicolas as its patron saint. After the ...

at Bierkaai. The family was obviously catholic, not much is known about his baptism. His father ran a paint shop; his uncle was an alcoholic. At the age of 28, he became paralyzed. As a result, he was only able to perform light work. He married Maria Abt in 1756 and had his three children baptized in the

Mozes en Aäronkerk The Moses and Aaron Church ( nl, Mozes en Aäronkerk, ), in the Waterlooplein neighborhood of Amsterdam, is officially the Roman Catholic Church of St. Anthony of Padua ( nl, Sint-Anthoniuskerk). Originally a clandestine church, it was operated ...

and in a hidden church in the

Kalverstraat The Kalverstraat (, ) is a busy shopping street of Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. The street runs roughly North-South for about 750 meters, from Dam Square to Muntplein square. The Kalverstraat is the most expensive shopping stree ...

Jan Wagenaar Jan Wagenaar (25 October 1709 – 1 March 1773) was a Dutch historian, best known for his contributions to ''Tegenwoordige staat van nederland'' and ''Vaderlandsche Historie''. Biography Wagenaar was born in Amsterdam to a Mennonite master ...

mentions that Jan Ekels was in training with

Jan ten Compe Jan ten Compe (1713, Amsterdam – 1761, Amsterdam), was an 18th-century landscape painter from the Northern Netherlands. Biography According to his biographer Jan van Gool, he was a follower of Jan van der Heyden and Gerrit Berckheyde. ...

and a pupil of Dirk Dalens, the younger. His work is influenced by

Jan van der Heyden Jan van der Heyden (5 March 1637, Gorinchem – 28 March 1712, Amsterdam) was a Dutch Baroque-era painter, glass painter, draughtsman and printmaker. Van der Heyden was one of the first Dutch painters to specialize in townscapes and became ...

. Jan Ekels could not make a living with his veduta's of Amsterdam and Maastricht; he earned more as a restorer of paintings. He lived at Herengracht, near

De Krijtberg De Krijtberg Kerk is a Roman Catholic church in Amsterdam, located at the Singel. The church was designed by Alfred Tepe and was opened in 1883. The exuberant interior was made by Friedrich Wilhelm Mengelberg. History The church is dedicated to St ...

, but died at Kerkstraat, opposite

Amstelkerk The Amstelkerk ( en, Amstel Church) is a Reformed church building in central Amsterdam, Netherlands. It lies in the southern part of the Grachtengordel neighborhood, near the Amstel River, between the Prinsengracht, Reguliersgracht and Keizersgr ...

. Jan Eekels was buried in the

Nieuwezijds Kapel Nieuwezijds Kapel (Dutch - New Side's Chapel), or Heilige Stede (Dutch - holy site) or Chapel of the Heilige Stede refers to a site in Amsterdam that includes shops and a Dutch Reformed church built in 1908 on the site of a church once called the ...

. His only pupil was

Jan Ekels the Younger Jan Ekels the Younger (1759 Amsterdam - 1793), was a Dutch painter and draftsman of genre pieces and an imitator of the old masters, especially of J. Molenaer, Gerard Ter Borch and Gabriel Metsu. Jan Hermannus was baptized in a hidden or cla ...

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ekels, Jan the Elder 1724 births 1780 deaths 18th-century Dutch painters 18th-century Dutch male artists Dutch male painters Painters from Amsterdam