Wolfgang de Smet (1617–1685) was a Flemish
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 ...
, who was active in
Leuven
Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic ...
in the mid-17th century. He is mainly known for his landscapes, architecture scenes and
history painting
History painting is a genre in painting defined by its subject matter rather than any artistic style or specific period. History paintings depict a moment in a narrative story, most often (but not exclusively) Greek and Roman mythology and Bible ...
s.
[Wolfgang de Smet]
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 ...
Life
Hardly anything is known with certainty about this painter whose earliest and latest known paintings are dated respectively 1640 and 1667.
[''Het Mirakel van het Heilig Sacrament'']
at Erfgoedplus He was likely born in Leuven in 1617.
[Bankgebouw Tafelrond (ID: 42182)]
at De Inventaris van het Bouwkundig Erfgoed His father was Hendrik de Smet, a history and portrait painter born in Leuven c. 1575. Hendrik de Smet became the city painter ('stadtsmeesterschilder') of Leuven in 1627. This position carried with it the responsibility for the decoration of the procession that was held each year on the first Sunday of the
kermesse. Hendrik de Smet had various pupils including his son Wolfgang. Wolfgang is known to have worked with his father in 1637.
Wolfgang de Smet married Anna Stockelis in 1645.
[Académie royale des sciences, des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique, Publisher: M. Hayez, 1889, p. 476-480 ] The couple had various children among whom a son born in 1651 was named after his father. His son named Hendrik, born in 1655, was also a painter.
He was active in Leuven where he likely died in 1685.
[
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Work
Currently, only three paintings are attributed with a certain level of certainty to Wolfgang de Smet. The three paintings are part of the collection of M - Museum Leuven
M, or m, is the thirteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''em'' (pronounced ), plural ''ems''.
History
Th ...
. The large ''Miracle of the Holy Sacrament'' dated 1640 represents many persons dressed in period dress who witness the miracle of the Holy Sacrament in a church with a rich Renaissance interior.[ The representation is characterized by its lavish detail.
The second painting dated between 1665 and 1667 represents a bird-eye view of the city centre of Leuven with details of the City Hall, the St. Peter's Church and the Great Market Square of Leuven. It includes some details of the church that were never built but only designed.
The last known painting dated 1667 depicts the interior of the St. Peter's Church of Leuven in very great detail. It is an important record of the rich interior decoration of the church in the 17th century. It shows that almost every spot of the church was used and that all the chapels and pillars were covered with religious works of art and objects of worship.][Lutgarde Bessemans, ''De musea in Leuven. Het museum Vander Kelen-Mertens Een museum in beweging'', Vlaanderen. Jaargang 44. Christelijk Vlaams Kunstenaarsverbond, Tielt 1995, p. 25 ]
His work shows similarity with that of the painter of church interiors . His works reveal a good understanding of perspective and colouring. The figures are painted with dynamism and expression.[
]
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smet, Wolfgang de
Flemish Baroque painters
Flemish landscape painters
Flemish genre painters
Artists from Leuven
1617 births
1685 deaths