Jan de Beijer (24 September 1703 – c. 1780), also given as Jan de Beyer, was a
Dutch
Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
** Dutch people as an ethnic group ()
** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship ()
** Dutch language ()
* In specific terms, i ...
draughtsman and painter known for this drawings of towns and buildings in the present-day countries of the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. In total, he produced some 1500 drawings, over 600 of which were reproduced as
engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a Burin (engraving), burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or Glass engraving, glass ar ...
s by other artists.
["Jan de Beijer", Kastelenbeeldbank.nl](_blank)
(Dutch)
De Beijer travelled through the Netherlands in summertime to draw views of cities and towns as well as castles and other buildings. In the wintertime, he would retire to his home to produce colour drawings based on his sketches in the field, as well as drawings that could be used by other artists to produce engravings.
Drawings by Jan de Beijer and engravings based on his work can be found in numerous museums, archives, and private collections. In Amsterdam, the
Joods Historisch Museum has a 1765 drawing of the Grote Synagoge and Nieuwe Synagoge, two of the synagogues making up the complex that now houses the museum. Also, the
Amsterdam Museum
The Amsterdam Museum, known until 2010 as the Amsterdam Historical Museum, is an Amsterdam-based museum dedicated to the city's past and present. Due to the renovation of its main location, the museum is temporarily located in the Amstelhof on the ...
has a drawing of the now-demolished tower Haringpakkerstoren.
In 1999, the
Historisch Museum Arnhem in
Arnhem
Arnhem ( ; ; Central Dutch dialects, Ernems: ''Èrnem'') is a Cities of the Netherlands, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands, near the German border. It is the capita ...
devoted an exhibition to work by Jan de Beijer.
Life
Jan de Beijer was born in Switzerland to Johan Jacob de Beijer (1654–1719) and his wife Maria Barbara Huisch. His father was a Dutch officer who was in Switzerland to hire mercenaries for the army of the Dutch Republic. At the age of six, he moved with his parents to
Emmerich on the Dutch-German border.
["Persönlichkeiten: Jan de Beijer (Aarau 1703 - 1775 od. 1780 in Emmerich)", Heimatkleve.de](_blank)
(German)
Around 1722 he moved to Amsterdam to study with
Cornelis Pronk, who was considered the most important topographical draughtsman of his time. De Beijer lived for some years in
Vierlingsbeek
Vierlingsbeek () is a village in the former municipality of Boxmeer in North Brabant province of the Netherlands. Until it was included in Boxmeer in 1998, it was a municipality of its own. Since 2022 it has been part of the new municipality of Lan ...
, near
Boxmeer
Boxmeer () is a town and former municipality in upper southeastern Netherlands. Boxmeer as a municipality incorporated the former municipality of Beugen en Rijkevoort and that of Vierlingsbeek.
One of the population centers of the former municip ...
. Sometime after 1750 he returned to Amsterdam, where he received further instruction from
Jan Maurits Quinkhard who, like Pronk, had been a pupil of
Arnold Boonen. In Amsterdam, he founded a draughtsmen's society. He was active as an artist until 1769 and then retired to a small town near
Kleve
Kleve (; traditional ; ; ; ; ; Low Rhenish: ''Kleff'') is a town in the Lower Rhine region of northwestern Germany near the Netherlands, Dutch border and the River Rhine. From the 11th century onwards, Cleves was capital of a county and lat ...
on the Dutch-German border, where he died. According to some sources he died on 15 February 1780 in Emmerich, although
Doesburg
Doesburg () is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands in the province of Gelderland. Doesburg received city rights in 1237 and had a population of in . The city is situated on the right bank of the River IJssel at its confluence w ...
is also mentioned as his place of death.
(Dutch)
File:Vredenburg Utrecht ca 1760 author J de Beijer.jpg, ''Het Vredenburg in Utrecht'', 1760
File:Jan de Beijer 001.jpg, ''Torensluis en Jan Rodenpoortstoren in Amsterdam'', 1760-1767
File:J. de Beijer Burgerweeshuis Amsterdam.jpg, ''Het Burgerweeshuis in Amsterdam'', 1770.
File:J. de Beijer Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal Amsterdam.jpg, ''Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal in Amsterdam'', 1775.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beijer, Jan De
1703 births
1780s deaths
People from Aarau
18th-century Dutch painters
18th-century Dutch male artists
Dutch male painters
Painters from Amsterdam
Dutch draughtsmen