Cornelis De Bruyn
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Cornelis de Bruijn or Cornelius de Bruyn (; 16521726/7), also formerly known in English by his French name Corneille Le Brun, was a Dutch artist and traveler. He made two large tours and published illustrated books with his observations of people, buildings, plants and animals.


Biography

De Bruijn was born in
The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...
. During his first tour, he visited Rome, where he became a member of the
Bentvueghels The Bentvueghels (Dutch for "Birds of a Feather") were a society of mostly Dutch and Flemish artists active in Rome from about 1620 to 1720. They are also known as the Schildersbent ("painters' clique"). Activities The members, which incl ...
with the nickname ''Adonis'', which is how he signed the ''bentbrief'' of Abraham Genoels II. He travelled in
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
and climbed to the top of a
pyramid A pyramid () is a structure whose visible surfaces are triangular in broad outline and converge toward the top, making the appearance roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be of any polygon shape, such as trian ...
where he left his signature. De Bruijn made secret drawings of Jerusalem, then part of the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
. His drawings of
Palmyra Palmyra ( ; Palmyrene dialect, Palmyrene: (), romanized: ''Tadmor''; ) is an ancient city in central Syria. It is located in the eastern part of the Levant, and archaeological finds date back to the Neolithic period, and documents first menti ...
are copies. De Bruijn reached
Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...
and stayed among the Dutch merchants in
Smyrna Smyrna ( ; , or ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, Turkey. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna ...
and
Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
. From 1684 he worked in Venice with the painter Johann Carl Loth, returning in 1693 to The Hague, where he sold his souvenirs. In 1698 he published his book with drawings, which was a success and was translated in several languages. Two examples have colored illustrations, the first color prints in history. Among his drawings were the first pictures of the interior of the
Great Pyramid The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest Egyptian pyramid. It served as the tomb of pharaoh Khufu, who ruled during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. Built , over a period of about 26 years, the pyramid is the oldest of the Seven Wond ...
and Jerusalem that became known in Europe. In 1701 he headed for
Archangelsk Arkhangelsk (, ) is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina near its mouth into the White Sea. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river and numerous islands o ...
. During his second tour he visited the
Samoyeds The Samoyedic peoples (sometimes Samodeic peoples) are a group of closely related peoples who speak Samoyedic languages, which are part of the Uralic languages, Uralic family. They are a linguistic, ethnic, and cultural grouping. The name derive ...
in northern Russia. In Moscow he became acquainted with emperor
Peter the Great Peter I (, ; – ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...
: de Bruijn painted his nieces, and the paintings were sent to possible candidates for marriage. In late April 1703, De Bruijn left Moscow along with the party of an Armenian merchants from
Isfahan Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...
whose name he recorded as Jacob Daviedof. De Bruijn and the Armenians sailed down the
Moscow River The Moskva (, ''Moskva-reka'') is a river that flows through European Russia, western Russia. It River source, rises about west of Moscow and flows roughly east through the Smolensk Oblast, Smolensk and Moscow Oblasts, passing through central M ...
, the Oka and the
Volga The Volga (, ) is the longest river in Europe and the longest endorheic basin river in the world. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catchment ...
, eventually reaching
Astrakhan Astrakhan (, ) is the largest city and administrative centre of Astrakhan Oblast in southern Russia. The city lies on two banks of the Volga, in the upper part of the Volga Delta, on eleven islands of the Caspian Depression, from the Caspian Se ...
. Thanks to de Bruijn's short stopover in
Nizhny Novgorod Nizhny Novgorod ( ; rus, links=no, Нижний Новгород, a=Ru-Nizhny Novgorod.ogg, p=ˈnʲiʐnʲɪj ˈnovɡərət, t=Lower Newtown; colloquially shortened to Nizhny) is a city and the administrative centre of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast an ...
during the Easter holidays, we now have his description of that major center of the Russian Volga trade as it existed in 1703, with its
Kremlin The Moscow Kremlin (also the Kremlin) is a fortified complex in Moscow, Russia. Located in the centre of the country's capital city, the Moscow Kremlin (fortification), Kremlin comprises five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Mosco ...
, stone churches, and a lively bar (''kabak'') scene. Leaving the borders of the Russian state, de Bruijn arrived to Persia, where he made drawings of towns like
Isfahan Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...
and
Persepolis Persepolis (; ; ) was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (). It is situated in the plains of Marvdasht, encircled by the southern Zagros mountains, Fars province of Iran. It is one of the key Iranian cultural heritage sites and ...
(1704–1705). He continued to
Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
and returned to Persia, Russia, and ultimately the Netherlands. His drawings of
Persepolis Persepolis (; ; ) was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (). It is situated in the plains of Marvdasht, encircled by the southern Zagros mountains, Fars province of Iran. It is one of the key Iranian cultural heritage sites and ...
, a city destroyed by
Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...
, caused a sensation. The mayor of Amsterdam
Nicolaes Witsen Nicolaes Witsen (; 8 May 1641 – 10 August 1717) was a Dutch statesman who was mayor of Amsterdam thirteen times, between 1682 and 1706. In 1693, he became administrator of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). In 1689, he was extraordinary-ambas ...
and a member of the
Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
probably asked him to draw the city famous for its 40 columns. For a century, they were the best prints available to western scholars. De Bruijn was accused of
plagiarism Plagiarism is the representation of another person's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.From the 1995 ''Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary'': use or close ...
and his second book, ''Reizen over Moskovie'' was not such a success. From Amsterdam he fled to Vianen. De Bruijn was invited by a Mennonite silk merchant and died in
Utrecht Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...
. It is not known when and where he was buried. De Bruijn, who had read every Greek and Latin source he had been able to obtain, displays a convincing knowledge of subjects, at times going into the humorous. In Persia, he obtained a copy of Firdausi's ''Shahnamê'', which he summarized and made accessible to the west.


Works

*''Reizen van Cornelis de Bruyn door de vermaardste Deelen van Klein Asia'' (1698) ::*Corneille le Brun, ''Voyage au Levant'' (French translation, 1700) ::*Corneille le Brun, ''A Voyage to the Levant: or Travels in the Principal Parts of Asia Minor'' (English translation, 1702) *''Reizen over Moskovie, door Persie en Indie'' (1711) ::*''Voyages de Corneille le Brun par la Moscovie, en Perse, et aux Indes Occidentales'' (French translation, 1718) ::*Corneille le Brun, ''Voyage to the Levant and Travels into Moscovy, Persia, and the East Indies'' (English translation, 1720) ::*C. le Brun, ''An Abstract of M.C. Le Brun's Travels through Russia'' (1722) ::*''Puteshestvie cerez Moskouviju Kornelija de Brujna'' (Russian excerpt 1873) *''Aenmerkingen Over de Printverbeeldingen van de Overblijfzelen van het Oude Persepolis'' (1714) Other English translations appeared in 1737, 1759, and 1873.


Notes


Sources

* J.W. Drijvers, J. de Hond, H. Sancisi-Weerdenburg (eds.): ''"Ik hadde de nieusgierigheid". De reizen door het Nabije Oosten van Cornelis de Bruijn (ca.1652–1727)'' (1997 Leiden and Leuven) * J. de Hond, "Cornelis de Bruijn (1652-1726/27). A Dutch Painter in the East", in: G.J. van Gelder, E. de Moor (eds.), ''Eastward Bound. Dutch Ventures and Adventures in the Middle East'' (1994 London/Atlanta), pp. 51–81 * G. Jurriaans-Helle (ed.), ''Cornelis de Bruijn. Voyages from Rome to Jerusalem and from Moscow to Batavia'' (Catalogue of an exposition in th
Allard Pierson Museum
Amsterdam, 1998) *


Sketches


External links






The Discoverer of Persepolis: Cornelis de Bruijn

Reizen van Cornelis de Bruyn door de vermaardste deelen van Klein Asia, de eylanden Scio, Rhodus, Cyprus, Metelino, Stanchio, etc., mitsgaders de voornaamste steden van Aegypten, Syrien en Palestina : verrijkt met meer als 200 kopere konstplaaten ..., alles door den autheur selfs na het leven afgetekend (1698) in Dutch

Cornelis de Bruins reizen over Moskovië, door Persië en Indië : verrykt met driehondert kunstplaten, vertoonende de beroemste lantschappen en steden, ook de byzondere dragten, beesten, gewassen en planten, die daar gevonden worden: voor al derzelver oudheden, en wel voornamentlyk heel uitvoerig, die van het heerlyke en van oudts de geheele werrelt door befaemde Hof van Persepolis, by den Persianen Tchilminar genaemt (1714) in Dutch
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bruijn, Cornelis De 1652 births 1720s deaths Artists from The Hague 17th-century Dutch explorers Dutch travel writers Members of the Bentvueghels Explorers of Iran Dutch Golden Age printmakers