Jacob van Loo
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Jacob van Loo (1614 – 26 November 1670) was a painter of the Dutch Golden Age, chiefly active in Amsterdam and, after 1660, in Paris. Van Loo is known for his conversational groupings; particularly his mythological and biblical scenes generally attributed to the genre of History painting. He was especially celebrated for the quality of his nudes to the extent that, during his lifetime, particularly his female figures were said to have been considered superior and more popular than those of his Amsterdam contemporary and competitor Rembrandt.Pilkington, Matthew, A.M, ''A General Dictionary of Painters'', vol II, London 1829, p.485. In 1663, three years after fleeing to Paris, Jacob van Loo was accepted into the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture. Though his father also painted, Jacob's success ensured that he would forever be referred to as the founder of the
Van Loo Van Loo is a Dutch toponymic surname, meaning "from the forest clearing". People with this surname include: ;A family of painters : * Jacob van Loo (1614–1670), Dutch painter * Louis-Abraham van Loo (1653-1712), Dutch-born French painter, son ...
family of painters; a dynasty which was influential in French and European painting from the 17th to the beginning of the 19th century.


Biography

Van Loo was born in Sluis, a town in the
Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...
. Some sources have speculated that his father, Jan van Loo, may have been a
notary A notary is a person authorised to perform acts in legal affairs, in particular witnessing signatures on documents. The form that the notarial profession takes varies with local legal systems. A notary, while a legal professional, is disti ...
, but more often his father is described as a painter from whom Jacob van Loo received his early training. Little is known of van Loo's early history due to the destruction of the city archives in Sluis during World War II. His early influences are said to have included
Thomas de Keyser Thomas de Keyser (c. 1596–1667) was a Dutch portrait painter, a dealer in Belgium bluestone and stone mason. He was the most in-demand portrait painter in the Netherlands until the 1630s, when Rembrandt eclipsed him in popularity. Rembrand ...
and
Jacob Adriaensz Backer Jacob Adriaensz Backer (1608 – 27 August 1651) was a Dutch Golden Age painter. He produced about 140 paintings in twenty years, including portraits, religious subjects, and mythological paintings. In his style, he was influenced by Wybrand ...
.


Family life

In 1635, van Loo moved to
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...
,Bredius, 1916: A.Bredius, ''Waerom Jacob van Loo in 1660 Amsterdam verliet'', (Oud Holland 34, 1916, pp.47-52), p.49. In 1642 he married Anna Lengele, the sister of the painter Martinus Lengele (1604–1668). The couple had six children, including the painters Jean van Loo and his better known brother Louis-Abraham van Loo. Their grandsons,
Jean-Baptiste van Loo Jean-Baptiste van Loo (14 January 1684 – 19 December 1745) was a French subject and portrait painter. Life and career He was born in Aix-en-Provence, and was instructed in art by his father Louis-Abraham van Loo, son of Jacob van Loo. Hav ...
and Charles-André van Loo were among the most famous French painters of the 18th century. They lived on
Rozengracht The Rozengracht is a street in the Jordaan neighbourhood of Amsterdam. It runs between the Prinsengracht at the Westermarkt and the Singel canal at De Clercqstraat. The name means "Rose canal". The Rozengracht is one of the six former canals in ...
in the Jordaan district of Amsterdam.


Professional practice

In Amsterdam, van Loo found himself at the centre of an active and competitive circle of artists, which included Rembrandt, Frans Hals and
Bartholomeus van der Helst Bartholomeus van der Helst (1613 – buried 16 December 1670) was a Dutch painter. Considered to be one of the leading portrait painters of the Dutch Golden Age, his elegant portraits gained him the patronage of Amsterdam's elite as well as th ...
. Around 1640
Eglon van der Neer Eglon van der Neer (1635/363 May 1703) was a Dutch painter of historical scenes, portraits and elegant, fashionable people, and later of landscapes. Life Van der Neer was born in Amsterdam and was probably first taught by his father, Aert ...
entered his studio as an apprentice and remained his student for a decade. In 1652 van Loo bought himself citizenship (''burgerrecht'') of the city of Amsterdam. It was speculated that he did so in the hope of being commissioned to help decorate the newly constructed town hall. In 1654, a poem by
Jan Vos 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 Numbe ...
counted van Loo among the most significant of Dutch painters, alongside Rembrandt and van der Helst. The greater part of van Loo's oeuvre was done in the Baroque style that had originated in
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
and had been popularised throughout Europe. He is often referred to as a major influence on
Johannes Vermeer Johannes Vermeer ( , , see below; also known as Jan Vermeer; October 1632 – 15 December 1675) was a Dutch Baroque Period painter who specialized in domestic interior scenes of middle-class life. During his lifetime, he was a moderately succe ...
, evidence of which can be seen by comparing Vermeer's painting of '' Diana and Her Companions'' with van Loo's 1648 version of the same subject (not the 1654 version of ''Diana and her nymphs'' often used to dispute the claim of direct influence.)Wheelock, Arthur K., Jr., editor (1995). Johannes Vermeer. New Haven: Yale University Press. pp 96-101. . pp.96-97. Van Loo painted many portraits. Among his subjects were Johan Huydecoper van Maarseveen; his sister, Leonara Huydecoper, who was married to Jan J. Hinlopen; Joan Ortt, who was later involved with Antoinette Bourignon; and his wife Lucretia Boudaen.


Flight to Paris

In 1660, van Loo fled from Amsterdam after fatally stabbing someone during an altercation at an inn. He was sentenced to death ''
in absentia is Latin for absence. , a legal term, is Latin for "in the absence" or "while absent". may also refer to: * Award in absentia * Declared death in absentia, or simply, death in absentia, legally declared death without a body * Election in ab ...
'' which forever prevented his return to the Dutch Republic.Loo, Jacob van
at the Netherlands Institute for Art History.
Van Loo settled in Paris, where, in 1663, he was admitted to the ''
Académie de peinture et de sculpture An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...
''. He died in Paris in 1670, three years after the van Loo family were
naturalised Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the i ...
as French citizens.


Gallery

Image:Meebeeck Cruywagen Family by Van Loo.jpg, Meebeeck Cruywagen Family, c. 1640-45. Image:Jacob van Loo - Concert - WGA13434.jpg, A concert, 1652. Image:Danae by Van Loo.jpg,
Danaë In Greek mythology, Danaë (, ; ; , ) was an Argive princess and mother of the hero Perseus by Zeus. She was credited with founding the city of Ardea in Latium during the Bronze Age. Family Danae was the daughter and only child of King Acri ...
, after 1640. File:La Mélancolie, Van Loo.jpg, Melancholy, after 1660. Image:VanLooYoungWomanGoingToBed.jpg, Young woman going to bed, c. 1650. Image:Van Loo Naked Man and Woman.jpg, Male and Female nudes, 1650s. Image:DianaAndHerNymphsByVanLoo.jpg, Diana and her
Nymphs A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label=Modern Greek; , ) in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are ...
, 1654. Image:VanLooPortraitOfAGentleman1668.jpg, Portrait of a gentleman, 1668. File:Danae by Jacob van Loo.jpg, Danae, 1650. File:Bacchic Scene by Van Loo.jpg, Bacchic Scene, 1653. File:Loo Jacob van, Diana, 1648.jpg, Diana and her nymphs, 1648.


References


External links


Record at Getty Research





Works and literature on Jacob van Loo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Loo, Jacob Van 1614 births 1670 deaths Dutch Golden Age painters Dutch male painters People from Sluis Dutch portrait painters Flemish portrait painters