Johannes van Dreght (11 November 1737, Amsterdam - 7 October 1807, Amsterdam) was a Dutch

decorative painter A house painter and decorator is a tradesman responsible for the painting and decorating of buildings, and is also known as a decorator or house painter.''The Modern Painter and Decorator'' volume 1 1921 Caxton The purpose of painting is to imp ...

; known for his work on fireplaces, carriages, yachts, sleds and fans.

Life and work

He became a member of the local Guild of Saint Luke in 1758. He married in 1761 and was elected to the

Stadstekenacademie, Amsterdam The Stadstekenacademie ("City Drawing Academy", contemporaneous spelling: ''Stads Teekenacademie'', ''Teeken-Academie'' or ''Akademie der Teekenkunst'') was an 18th-century art academy in Amsterdam. It was the precursor of the ''Koninklijke Academ ...

, in 1766 and received an honorary prize from the Drawing Academy. He maintained his home and studio on , near the

Amstel The Amstel () is a river in the province of North Holland in the Netherlands. It flows from the Aarkanaal and Drecht in Nieuwveen northwards, passing Uithoorn, Amstelveen, and Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, to the IJ in Amsterdam. Annually, the riv ...

. Politically, he was a supporter of the

Patriottentijd The (; ) was a period of political instability in the Dutch Republic between approximately 1780 and 1787. Its name derives from the Patriots () faction who opposed the rule of the stadtholder, William V, Prince of Orange, and his supporters who ...

; a group that admired the ancient Roman Republic In 1772, he created a chimney piece () for the Town Hall, as well as works for the original Dutch Theater (1774), the buildings at 518 and 520 Herengracht and in the Corvershof, a home belonging to the son of Mayor (1778). In 1781, and again in 1792, he provided the sets and scenery for productions of '' The Barber of Seville'', by Beaumarchais. Much of his work represents a transition to

Neoclassicism Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism was ...

. The wallpaper designer,

Jurriaen Andriessen Jurriaan Andriessen (12 July 1742, Amsterdam - 31 July 1819, Amsterdam) was a Dutch decorative painter and graphic artist. Biography His father was from Brandenburg and his mother was from Holstein. He began his art studies at the age of twelve ...

, is one of his best known students. The poet, Willem Bilderdijk, learned some etching and drawing techniques from him.

Sources

* D. Carasso, "Idem ardor agit. De schilder Joannes van Dreght en zijn leerling Willem Bilderdijk", in: E.K. Grootes and J. den Haan (Eds.), ''Geschiedenis, godsdienst, letterkunde. Opstellen aangeboden aan dr. S.B.J. Zilverberg ter gelegenheid van zijn afscheid van de Universiteit van Amsterdam'', Roden 1989, p. 208-220
Online
* ''De verzameling Van Eeghen. Amsterdamse tekeningen 1600-1950'', Gemeentearchief Amsterdam (1989)

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dreght, Johannes van 1737 births 1807 deaths Dutch painters Decorative arts Painters from Amsterdam