![Anthony van Dyck - Portrait of Jan Snellinck (I)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Anthony_van_Dyck_-_Portrait_of_Jan_Snellinck_%28I%29.jpg)
Jan Snellinck or Jan Snellinck (I)
[Jan Snellinck]
at the Netherlands Institute for Art History
The Netherlands Institute for Art History or RKD (Dutch: RKD-Nederlands Instituut voor Kunstgeschiedenis), previously Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (RKD), is located in The Hague and is home to the largest art history center i ...
(c. 1548 – 1 October 1638) was a Flemish painter, draughtsman and designer of tapestries, prints and frescoes. He is known for his large altarpieces and was also recognized as a leading battle painter in his time. Snellinck was active as an art dealer and art collector.
[Reginald Howard Wilenski, ''Flemish Painters: 1430-1830'', Viking Press, 1960, p. 654][Jan Gimblet, ''Nieuwen verlichter der konst-schilders, vernissers, vergulders en marmelaers, en alle andere liefhebbers dezer lofbaere konsten'']
Philippe Gimblet en gebroeders, 1788
Life
Jan Snellinck was born in Mechelen, the son of Daniël Snellinck I, a painter and hawker, and Cornelia Verhulst (alias: Bessemeers). His mother came from a family of established artists in Mechelen. Her father and numerous uncles were painters. Her sister Mayken Verhulst
Mayken Verhulst (1518–1596 or 1599), also known as Marie Bessemers,Greer, p. 26. was a sixteenth-century miniature, tempera and watercolor painter, identified by Lodovico Guicciardini in 1567 as one of the four most important female artists in ...
married the prominent painter Pieter Coecke van Aelst
Pieter Coecke van Aelst or Pieter Coecke van Aelst the Elder ( Aalst, 14 August 1502 – Brussels, 6 December 1550) was a Flemish painter, sculptor, architect, author and designer of woodcuts, goldsmith's work, stained glass and tapestries. and was the mother-in-law of Pieter Brueghel the Elder
Pieter Bruegel (also Brueghel or Breughel) the Elder (, ; ; – 9 September 1569) was the most significant artist of Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting, a painter and printmaker, known for his landscapes and peasant scenes (so-called gen ...
.[Georges Onclincx, ''A propos d'un dessin-message du Louvre, Un peintre devant son chevalet: Pierre Bruegel l'Ancien, ses enfants et son oncle (par alliance) Merten Verhuist de Malines'']
In: Revue belge de philologie et d'histoire Année, 1989, Volume 67, Numéro 2, pp. 272-282 Another sister Elisabeth married the prominent printmaker and publisher Hubertus Goltzius
Hubert Goltz or Goltzius (30 October 1526 – 24 March 1583) was a Renaissance painter, engraver, and printer from the Southern Netherlands. He is not to be confused with the much more famous Hendrik Goltzius, who was his cousin, once remov ...
.
Jan Snellinck maintained a close relationship with the Brueghel family and was a witness at the weddings of both Pieter Brueghel the Younger
Pieter Brueghel (also Bruegel or Breughel) the Younger (, ; ; between 23 May and 10 October 1564 – between March and May 1638) was a Flemish painter, known for numerous copies after his father Pieter Bruegel the Elder's work as well as h ...
in 1588 and Jan Brueghel the Elder
Jan Brueghel (also Bruegel or Breughel) the Elder (, ; ; 1568 – 13 January 1625) was a Flemish painter and draughtsman. He was the son of the eminent Flemish Renaissance painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder. A close friend and frequent collabora ...
in 1599. He was also present at the banquet held on the return of the latter from his study trip to Italy.[Jan Op De Beeck, ''De Turkse manieren van een artistieke dame /Les manières turques d'une dame artistique / The Turkish Manners of an Artistic Lady'', Exhibition Catalogue Mechelen: Museum Het Zotte Kunstkabinet, Centrum voor oude kunst 't Vliegend Peert, 2005, pp. 11, 97 ]
Snellinck studied with his father as a watercolor painter.[Montbaillieu, 'Aantekeningen bij de schilderijeninventaris van het sterfhuis van Jan Snellinck (1549–1638)’, in: Jaarboek Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen (1976), pp. 245–268 ] He converted to the Calvinist faith but converted back to Catholicism after the Spanish retook Flanders.[David van der Linden, ''Coping with crisis. Career strategies of Antwerp painters after 1585'']
in: De zeventiende eeuw. Cultuur in de Nederlanden in interdisciplinair perspectief, 31(1), 18–54
In 1574 Snellinck was in Antwerp where he got married on 10 July of that year to Helena de Jode, a daughter of the printmaker and publisher Gerard de Jode
Gerard de Jode (also known as Petrus de Jode; – 5 February 1591) was a Netherlandish cartographer, engraver, and publisher who lived and worked in Antwerp.
In 1547, De Jode was admitted to the Guild of St. Luke, and began his work as a ...
. The couple had three sons named Daniel, Gerard and Jan
Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to:
Acronyms
* Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN
* Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code
* Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group
* Japanese Article Num ...
who all trained under their father to become painters.[Frans Jozef Peter Van den Branden, ''Geschiedenis der Antwerpsche schilderschool'', Antwerpen, 1883, pp. 431–439 ] A grandson called Cornelis and a great grandson called Jan
Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to:
Acronyms
* Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN
* Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code
* Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group
* Japanese Article Num ...
were painters in Rotterdam.
His first wife died on 12 September 1581. He remarried in 1586 to Paulina Cuypers (alias Boschmans), who was a relative (possibly the sister) of the mother of Anthony van Dyck. The couple had 10 children of whom three sons became painters.[
]
Snellinck became a master of the Antwerp Guild of St. Luke in 1577.[Ph. Rombouts and Th. van Lerius, De liggeren en andere historische archieven der Antwerpsche sint Lucasgilde]
Volume 1, Antwerp, 1864, pp. 266, 299 During his initial years in Antwerp Snellinck relied more on his art dealing than on his art making to make a living. In 1577 he received his first pupil and the next one would follow only five years later. Of the 16 pupils he would receive during his very long career, only Abraham Janssens
Abraham Janssens I, Abraham Janssen I or Abraham Janssens van Nuyssen (1575–1632) was a Flemish painter, who is known principally for his large religious and mythological works, which show the influence of Caravaggio. He was the leading hist ...
would make a name for himself.[ Snellinck became a ]poorter
Poorter () is an historical term for a type of Dutch, or Flemish, burgher who had acquired the right to live within the walls of a city with city rights.
In the Dutch Republic, this ''poorterrecht'' or ''poorterschap'' (citizenship) could be ...
(burger) of Antwerp on 27 June 1597.[
Snellinck gradually established a reputation as evidenced by the commissions he received from ]Peter Ernst I von Mansfeld-Vorderort
Peter Ernst I von Mansfeld-Vorderort (20 July 1517 – 25 May 1604) was a Spanish Imperial army commander of German origin and Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1592 to 1594.
Born in Heldrungen, Saxony, he was the 11th child (of 16) of ...
, an Imperial and Spanish army commander of German origin and Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1592 to 1594, and from the Archdukes Albrecht and Isabella
Isabella may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Isabella (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Isabella (surname), including a list of people
Places
United States
* Isabella, Alabama, an unincorpor ...
, who were also governors of the Spanish Netherlands from 1598 to 1621.[ His appointment to court painter of the Archdukes may have been related to his work on a commission by the government of Antwerp for the manufacture of a set of seven tapestry works, which were to serve as decorations on the occasion of the joyful entry in Antwerp of the Archdukes Albert and Isabella Clara Eugenia as the new governors of the Spanish Netherlands on 10 December 1599. The tapestries together with the cartoons painted by Snellinck were later gifted to the Archdukes.][''Tapestry in the Baroque: Threads of Splendor'']
at the Metropolitan Museum[Triumphs and battles of Archduke Albert Series]
at Flemish tapestries in Spain The tapestries were then given by Archduke Albert to King Philip III before 1621 or sent to King Philip IV after the death of Archduchess Isabella in 1633. They remained in the royal tapestry collection.[ Snellinck also received commissions for altarpieces in Antwerp, Mechelen and Oudenaarde.][
Jan Snellinck died on 1 October 1638 in Antwerp,. His wife died five days later.][ Jan Snellinck left an extensive art collection. An early 17th-century painting depicting an art collection or art gallery (Attributed to ]Hieronymus Francken II
Hieronymus Francken the Younger or Hieronymus II (Antwerp, 1578 – Antwerp, 1623) was a Flemish painter and one of the most prominent members of the large Francken family of artists. Along with his brother Frans Francken II he played an impo ...
, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium) was identified by art historian Simone Speth-Holterhoff as a representation of the art gallery or collection of Jan Snellinck. The identification was made on the basis of the presumed similarities between certain figures in the composition and contemporary portraits of known persons. It is no longer believed that this painting depicts Snellinck's collection or gallery or that of any other historic person but is rather an imaginary depiction of an art collection.[Marr, Alexander (2010) 'The Flemish 'Pictures of Collections' Genre: An Overview', Intellectual History Review, 20: 1, 5–25]
Work
Jan Snellinck is known for his landscapes, religious and allegorical compositions. His religious subjects are often crucifixion scenes. Snellinck also painted battle scenes and elegant companies.[Jan Snellinck (I), ''The Battle of Moncontour, 30 October 1569'']
at Christie's He was also active as a painter of tapestry cartoons and a designer of prints.[Hans Mielke, ''Antwerpener Graphik in der 2. Hälfte des 16. Jahrhunderts: Der Thesaurus veteris et novi Testamenti des Gerard de Jode (1585) und seine Künstler'', Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte, 38. Bd., H. 1 (1975), pp. 29-83 ]
Snellinck was described by contemporary art historian Karel van Mander
Karel van Mander (I) or Carel van Mander I (May 1548 – 2 September 1606) was a Flemish painter, poet, art historian and art theoretician, who established himself in the Dutch Republic in the latter part of his life. He is mainly remembere ...
as a battle painter and was thus the first Flemish war artist.[ Nine paintings of sieges by Jan Snellinck (I) were listed in the collection of Juan de Echauz in 1687. However, very little is known about his work in this area.][ Like many of his fellow painters from Mechelen Snellinck painted often in watercolors and this may be the reason few of his works have been preserved.][
]
A ''Masked ball in an Italianate courtyard'', depicting a ball in the courtyard of a palace seen from a high perspective (Auctioned at Christie's on 7 December 2011, London, lot 106) and an ''Elegant company listening to music'' (Auctioned at Christie's on 7 December 2011, London, lot 106), depicting elegantly dressed men and women listening and dancing to harpsichord music, show another aspect of his work.[ This theme of elegant balls was introduced in Flemish art by members of the Francken family of artists such as ]Hieronymus Francken I
Hieronymus Francken I or Hieronymus Francken the Elder (ca. 1540, Herentals–1610, Paris) was a Flemish painter and an important member of the Francken family of artists. After training in Antwerp, he was mainly active in France, where he ...
.
Snellinck is known to have painted the cartoons for a number of tapestry sets woven in Flanders. He worked on a set of seven tapestry works, which were commissioned by the city of Antwerp to be used as decorations during the celebrations during the joyful entry of the Archdukes Albert and Isabella Clara Eugenia in the city on 10 December 1599. The tapestries, together with the cartoons, were gifted to the Archdukes after the event.[ While the tapestries later ended up in the Royal Collection in Spain, the cartoons remained in Brussels where they were later destroyed by fire or lost. The tapestry series is entitled the ''Battles of the Archduke Albert'' and depicts the military successes of Archduke Albert in Calais, Ardres and Hulst. The designs were made by ]Otto van Veen
Otto van Veen, also known by his Latinized name Otto Venius or Octavius Vaenius (1556 – 6 May 1629), was a painter, draughtsman, and humanist active primarily in Antwerp and Brussels in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He is known for ...
while Snellinck painted the full-size cartoons. The tapestries were woven in the workshop of Maarten Reymbouts the Younger in Brussels in the period from 1597 to 1599.[ The central panel of each tapestry depicts a military action including portraits of some of the military leaders involved in the action including the Archduke. The borders of each tapestry are filled with war trophies, victory palms, maces and clubs while the corners are decorated with Medusa heads.][ Sellinck also provided a series of cartoons for armorial tapestries, with the coat-of-arms of ]Ambrogio Spinola
Ambrogio Spinola Doria, 1st Marquess of Los Balbases and 1st Duke of Sesto (1569-25 September 1630) was an Italian ''condottiero'' and nobleman of the Republic of Genoa, who served as a Spanish general and won a number of important battles. He i ...
(c. 1605-1619). These tapestries were also woven in the workshop of Maarten Reymbouts the Younger in Brussels.Armorial tapestry, with the coat-of-arms of Ambrogio Spinola
at Sotheby's
Snellinck's designs were used in various publications, some of which were published by his father-in-law Gerard de Jode, a prominent publisher of his time. One of these publications was the illustrated bible ''Thesaurus veteris et novi Testamenti'' published by Gerard de Jode in 1585. The prints were designed by at least 14 Flemish artists including , Crispijn van den Broeck, Pieter van der Borcht the Elder
Pieter van der Borcht (I) or Peter van der Borcht (c. 1530–1608) was a Flemish Renaissance painter, draughtsman and etcher. He is regarded as one of the most gifted botanical painters of the 16th century.Thomas Gloning, Lydia Kaiser und Ans Sch ...
and Marten van Cleve
Marten van Cleve the Elder (Antwerp, c. 1527 – Antwerp, before 24 November 1581) was a Flemish painter and draftsman active in Antwerp between 1551 and 1581.Carl Van de Velde. "Marten van Cleve I." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxfo ...
. To Jan Snellinck have been attributed the design of about 50 prints in this illustrated bible. De Jode relied for the Thesaurus largely on existing prints and likely ordered missing designs from his son-in-law Snellinck. Snellinck also provided the designs for the emblem book ''Μικροκόσμος. Parvus Mundus'' (the ''Small World'') by Laurentius Haechtanus. This book was published by Gerard de Jode in 1579. Seven design drawings of Snellinck for the publication are in the collection of the Rijksmuseum were they are attributed to Crispijn van den Broeck. Two further designs are in the British Museum
The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
were they are attributed to Karel van Mander
Karel van Mander (I) or Carel van Mander I (May 1548 – 2 September 1606) was a Flemish painter, poet, art historian and art theoretician, who established himself in the Dutch Republic in the latter part of his life. He is mainly remembere ...
.[
]
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Snellinck, 1 Jan
1584 births
1638 deaths
Artists from Mechelen
Flemish Baroque painters
Flemish Renaissance painters
Flemish landscape painters
Flemish history painters
Flemish tapestry artists
Flemish war artists
Painters from Antwerp