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Jan Snellinck or Jan Snellinck (I)Jan Snellinck
at the
Netherlands Institute for Art History The Netherlands Institute for Art History or RKD (Dutch: ), previously Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie (RKD), is located in The Hague and is home to the largest art history center in the world. The center specializes in document ...
(c. 1548 – 1 October 1638) was a Flemish painter, draughtsman and designer of tapestries, prints and frescoes. He is known for his large altarpieces and was also recognized as a leading battle painter in his time. Snellinck was active as an art dealer and art collector.Reginald Howard Wilenski, ''Flemish Painters: 1430-1830'', Viking Press, 1960, p. 654Jan Gimblet, ''Nieuwen verlichter der konst-schilders, vernissers, vergulders en marmelaers, en alle andere liefhebbers dezer lofbaere konsten''
Philippe Gimblet en gebroeders, 1788


Life

Jan Snellinck was born in
Mechelen Mechelen (; ; historically known as ''Mechlin'' in EnglishMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical context. T ...
, the son of Daniël Snellinck I, a painter and hawker, and Cornelia Verhulst (alias: Bessemeers). His mother came from a family of established artists in Mechelen. Her father and numerous uncles were painters. Her sister
Mayken Verhulst Mayken Verhulst (1518–1596 or 1599), also known as Marie Bessemers,Greer, p. 26. was a sixteenth-century Miniature (illuminated manuscript), miniature, tempera and Watercolor painting, watercolor painter and print publisher. She was actively en ...
married the prominent painter
Pieter Coecke van Aelst Pieter Coecke van Aelst or Pieter Coecke van Aelst the Elder (Aalst, Belgium, Aalst, 14 August 1502Pieter Coeck ...
and was the mother-in-law of
Pieter Brueghel the Elder Pieter Bruegel (also Brueghel or Breughel) the Elder ( , ; ; – 9 September 1569) was among the most significant artists of Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting, a painter and printmaking, printmaker, known for his landscape art, landscape ...
.Georges Onclincx, ''A propos d'un dessin-message du Louvre, Un peintre devant son chevalet: Pierre Bruegel l'Ancien, ses enfants et son oncle (par alliance) Merten Verhuist de Malines''
In: Revue belge de philologie et d'histoire Année, 1989, Volume 67, Numéro 2, pp. 272-282
Another sister Elisabeth married the prominent printmaker and publisher Hubertus Goltzius. Jan Snellinck maintained a close relationship with the Brueghel family and was a witness at the weddings of both
Pieter Brueghel the Younger Pieter Brueghel (also Bruegel or Breughel) the Younger ( , ; ; between 23 May and 10 October 1564 – between March and May 1638) was a Flemish painting, Flemish painter known for numerous copies after his father Pieter Bruegel the Elder's ...
in 1588 and
Jan Brueghel the Elder Jan Brueghel (also Bruegel or Breughel) the Elder ( , ; ; 1568 – 13 January 1625) was a Flemish painting, Flemish painter and Draughtsmanship, draughtsman. He was the younger son of the eminent Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting, Flemish ...
in 1599. He was also present at the banquet held on the return of the latter from his study trip to Italy.Jan Op De Beeck, ''De Turkse manieren van een artistieke dame /Les manières turques d'une dame artistique / The Turkish Manners of an Artistic Lady'', Exhibition Catalogue Mechelen: Museum Het Zotte Kunstkabinet, Centrum voor oude kunst 't Vliegend Peert, 2005, pp. 11, 97 Snellinck studied with his father as a watercolor painter.Montbaillieu, 'Aantekeningen bij de schilderijeninventaris van het sterfhuis van Jan Snellinck (1549–1638)’, in: Jaarboek Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen (1976), pp. 245–268 He converted to the Calvinist faith but converted back to Catholicism after the Spanish retook Flanders.David van der Linden, ''Coping with crisis. Career strategies of Antwerp painters after 1585''
in: De zeventiende eeuw. Cultuur in de Nederlanden in interdisciplinair perspectief, 31(1), 18–54
In 1574 Snellinck was in Antwerp where he got married on 10 July of that year to Helena de Jode, a daughter of the printmaker and publisher Gerard de Jode. The couple had three sons named
Daniel Daniel commonly refers to: * Daniel (given name), a masculine given name and a surname * List of people named Daniel * List of people with surname Daniel * Daniel (biblical figure) * Book of Daniel, a biblical apocalypse, "an account of the acti ...
,
Gerard Gerard is a masculine forename of Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Germanic origin, variations of which exist in many Germanic and Romance languages. Like many other Germanic name, early Germanic names, it is dithematic, consisting of two meaningful ...
and Jan who all trained under their father to become painters.Frans Jozef Peter Van den Branden, ''Geschiedenis der Antwerpsche schilderschool'', Antwerpen, 1883, pp. 431–439 A grandson called
Cornelis Cornelis is a Dutch language, Dutch form of the male given name Cornelius (name), Cornelius. Some common shortened versions of Cornelis in Dutch are Cees, Cor, Corné, Corneel, Crelis, Kees (given name), Kees, Neel and Nelis. Cornelis (Kees) an ...
and a great-grandson called Jan were painters in Rotterdam. His first wife died on 12 September 1581. He remarried in 1586 to Paulina Cuypers (alias Boschmans), who was a relative (possibly the sister) of the mother of
Anthony van Dyck Sir Anthony van Dyck (; ; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Flemish Baroque painting, Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Spanish Netherlands and Italy. The seventh child of ...
. The couple had 10 children of whom three sons became painters. Snellinck became a master of the Antwerp Guild of St. Luke in 1577.Ph. Rombouts and Th. van Lerius, De liggeren en andere historische archieven der Antwerpsche sint Lucasgilde
Volume 1, Antwerp, 1864, pp. 266, 299
During his initial years in Antwerp Snellinck relied more on his art dealing than on his art making to make a living. In 1577 he received his first pupil and the next one would follow only five years later. Of the 16 pupils he would receive during his very long career, only
Abraham Janssens Abraham Janssens I, Abraham Janssen I or Abraham Janssens van Nuyssen (1575–1632) was a Flemish Painting, painter, who is known principally for his large religious and mythological works, which show the influence of Caravaggio. He was the lead ...
would make a name for himself. Snellinck became a
poorter Poorter () is an historical term for a type of Dutch, or Flemish, burgher who had acquired the right to live within the walls of a city with city rights. In the Dutch Republic, this ''poorterrecht'' or ''poorterschap'' (citizenship) could be ...
(burger) of Antwerp on 27 June 1597. Snellinck gradually established a reputation as evidenced by the commissions he received from
Peter Ernst I von Mansfeld-Vorderort Peter Ernst I von Mansfeld-Vorderort (20 July 1517 – 25 May 1604) was a Spanish Imperial army commander of German origin and Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1592 to 1594. Born in Heldrungen, Saxony, he was the 11th child (of 16) of ...
, an Imperial and Spanish army commander of German origin and Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1592 to 1594, and from the Archdukes Albrecht and
Isabella Isabella may refer to: People and fictional characters * Isabella (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Isabella (surname), including a list of people Places United States * Isabella, Alabama, an unincorpo ...
, who were also governors of the Spanish Netherlands from 1598 to 1621. His appointment to court painter of the Archdukes may have been related to his work on a commission by the government of Antwerp for the manufacture of a set of seven tapestry works, which were to serve as decorations on the occasion of the joyful entry in Antwerp of the Archdukes Albert and Isabella Clara Eugenia as the new governors of the Spanish Netherlands on 10 December 1599. The tapestries together with the cartoons painted by Snellinck were later gifted to the Archdukes.''Tapestry in the Baroque: Threads of Splendor''
at the Metropolitan Museum
Triumphs and battles of Archduke Albert Series
at Flemish tapestries in Spain
The tapestries were then given by Archduke Albert to King Philip III before 1621 or sent to King Philip IV after the death of Archduchess Isabella in 1633. They remained in the royal tapestry collection. Snellinck also received commissions for altarpieces in Antwerp, Mechelen and Oudenaarde. Jan Snellinck died on 1 October 1638 in
Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
,. His wife died five days later. Jan Snellinck left an extensive art collection. An early 17th-century painting depicting an art collection or art gallery (Attributed to Hieronymus Francken II,
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (, ; , ) are a group of art museums in Brussels, Belgium. They are part of the institutions of the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO) and consist of six museums: the Oldmasters Museum, the ...
) was identified by art historian Simone Speth-Holterhoff as a representation of the art gallery or collection of Jan Snellinck. The identification was made on the basis of the presumed similarities between certain figures in the composition and contemporary portraits of known persons. It is no longer believed that this painting depicts Snellinck's collection or gallery or that of any other historic person but is rather an imaginary depiction of an art collection.Marr, Alexander (2010) 'The Flemish 'Pictures of Collections' Genre: An Overview', Intellectual History Review, 20: 1, 5–25


Work

Jan Snellinck is known for his landscapes, religious and allegorical compositions. His religious subjects are often crucifixion scenes. Snellinck also painted battle scenes and elegant companies.Jan Snellinck (I), ''The Battle of Moncontour, 30 October 1569''
at Christie's
He was also active as a painter of tapestry cartoons and a designer of prints.Hans Mielke, ''Antwerpener Graphik in der 2. Hälfte des 16. Jahrhunderts: Der Thesaurus veteris et novi Testamenti des Gerard de Jode (1585) und seine Künstler'', Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte, 38. Bd., H. 1 (1975), pp. 29-83 Snellinck was described by contemporary art historian
Karel van Mander Karel van Mander (I) or Carel van Mander IKarel van Mander
at the Netherlands Institute for Art History
...
as a battle painter and was thus the first Flemish war artist. Nine paintings of sieges by Jan Snellinck (I) were listed in the collection of Juan de Echauz in 1687. However, very little is known about his work in this area. Like many of his fellow painters from Mechelen Snellinck painted often in watercolors and this may be the reason few of his works have been preserved. A ''Masked ball in an Italianate courtyard'', depicting a ball in the courtyard of a palace seen from a high perspective (Auctioned at Christie's on 7 December 2011, London, lot 106) and an ''Elegant company listening to music'' (Auctioned at Christie's on 7 December 2011, London, lot 106), depicting elegantly dressed men and women listening and dancing to harpsichord music, show another aspect of his work. This theme of elegant balls was introduced in Flemish art by members of the Francken family of artists such as Hieronymus Francken I. Snellinck is known to have painted the cartoons for a number of tapestry sets woven in Flanders. He worked on a set of seven tapestry works, which were commissioned by the city of Antwerp to be used as decorations during the celebrations during the joyful entry of the Archdukes Albert and Isabella Clara Eugenia in the city on 10 December 1599. The tapestries, together with the cartoons, were gifted to the Archdukes after the event. While the tapestries later ended up in the Royal Collection in Spain, the cartoons remained in Brussels where they were later destroyed by fire or lost. The tapestry series is entitled the ''Battles of the Archduke Albert'' and depicts the military successes of Archduke Albert in Calais, Ardres and Hulst. The designs were made by
Otto van Veen Otto van Veen (also known by his Latinized names Otto Venius or Octavius Vaenius; 1556 – 6 May 1629), was a Painting, painter, Drawing, draughtsman, and Humanism, humanist active primarily in Antwerp and City of Brussels, Brussels in the late ...
while Snellinck painted the full-size cartoons. The tapestries were woven in the workshop of Maarten Reymbouts the Younger in Brussels in the period from 1597 to 1599. The central panel of each tapestry depicts a military action including portraits of some of the military leaders involved in the action including the Archduke. The borders of each tapestry are filled with war trophies, victory palms, maces and clubs while the corners are decorated with Medusa heads. Sellinck also provided a series of cartoons for armorial tapestries, with the coat-of-arms of
Ambrogio Spinola Ambrogio Spinola Doria, 1st Marquess of Los Balbases and 1st Duke of Sesto (1569 – 25 September 1630) was an Italian military leader and nobleman of the Republic of Genoa, who served as a Spanish general and won a number of important battles. ...
(c. 1605–1619). These tapestries were also woven in the workshop of Maarten Reymbouts the Younger in Brussels.Armorial tapestry, with the coat-of-arms of Ambrogio Spinola
at Sotheby's
Snellinck's designs were used in various publications, some of which were published by his father-in-law Gerard de Jode, a prominent publisher of his time. One of these publications was the illustrated bible ''Thesaurus veteris et novi Testamenti'' published by Gerard de Jode in 1585. The prints were designed by at least 14 Flemish artists including Maerten de Vos, Crispijn van den Broeck, Pieter van der Borcht the Elder and Marten van Cleve. To Jan Snellinck have been attributed the design of about 50 prints in this illustrated bible. De Jode relied for the Thesaurus largely on existing prints and likely ordered missing designs from his son-in-law Snellinck. Snellinck also provided the designs for the emblem book ''Μικροκόσμος. Parvus Mundus'' (the ''Small World'') by Laurentius Haechtanus. This book was published by Gerard de Jode in 1579. Seven design drawings of Snellinck for the publication are in the collection of the
Rijksmuseum The Rijksmuseum () is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch arts and history and is located in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough of Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the S ...
were they are attributed to Crispijn van den Broeck. Two further designs are in the
British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...
were they are attributed to
Karel van Mander Karel van Mander (I) or Carel van Mander IKarel van Mander
at the Netherlands Institute for Art History
...
.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Snellinck, 1 Jan 1540s births 1638 deaths Painters from Mechelen Flemish draughtsmen Flemish Baroque painters Flemish Renaissance painters Flemish landscape painters Flemish history painters Flemish tapestry artists Flemish war artists Painters from Antwerp