Leo van Heil (1605 – 1664) was a Flemish architect, painter and miniature painter mainly of flowers and insects. He is chiefly remembered for his designs of the Brigittines chapel and the tower of the Church of St. Nicholas, both in Brussels.Renier Meganck, ''Hunting still life of birds''
at Jean Moust

Life

Brigittinenkerk Korte Brigitinnenstraat Brussel

Leo van Heil was born in Brussels. He had two brothers who were also artists: Jan Baptist van Heil was a portrait painter and Daniel van Heil was a landscape painter specialising in winter scenes or burning fires.Jan Baptist van Heil biography
in ''De groote schouburgh der Nederlantsche konstschilders en schilderessen'' (1718) by

Arnold Houbraken Arnold Houbraken (28 March 1660 – 14 October 1719) was a Dutch people, Dutch Painting, painter and writer from Dordrecht, now remembered mainly as a biographer of Dutch Golden Age painters. Life Houbraken was sent first to learn ''threadt ...

When in 1648 Erasmus Quellinus was given the general artistic direction over the decorations for the

Joyous Entry A Joyous Entry (; ) is a ceremonial event marking the entry into a city by a monarch, prince, duke, or governor in parts of modern-day Belgium. Originating in the Middle Ages, it generally coincided with the affirmation or extension of the city' ...

into Antwerp of the newly appointed governor of the

Habsburg Netherlands Habsburg Netherlands were the parts of the Low Countries that were ruled by sovereigns of the Holy Roman Empire's House of Habsburg. This rule began in 1482 and ended for the Northern Netherlands in 1581 and for the Southern Netherlands in 1797. ...

Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, Leo van Heil worked as Quellinus' architectural assistant. The Archduke became his patron and appointed him as his court architect and commissioned various projects from van Heil, including a stone gate for the Archduke's palace in Brussels.Cornelis de Bie, ''Het gulden cabinet van de edel vry schilderconst'', published by Jan Meyssens, Juliaen van Montfort, Antwerp, 1662, p. 527 The painter and printmaker Renier Meganck, who later worked as a court painter in Vienna, became a pupil of Leo van Heil in Brussels in 1656.

Work

In his time Leo van Heil was known as an architect, painter of flowers and insects and other small animals and perspectives (i.e. architectural works). His drawing of

Tongerlo Abbey Tongerlo Abbey is a Premonstratensian monastery at Tongerlo in Westerlo near Antwerp, Belgium. History It was founded in 1128 in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by Giselbert of Kasterlee, who not only gave the land, but also himself became a l ...

served as model for a print of ''Tongerlo Abbey in bird's eye perspective'' made by the engraver

Wenceslaus Hollar Wenceslaus Hollar (23 July 1607 – 25 March 1677) was a prolific and accomplished Bohemian graphic artist of the 17th century, who spent much of his life in England. He is known to German speakers as ; and to Czech speakers as (). He is partic ...

.Bird's eye view of the Tongerloo Abbey, near Westerlo
at the British Museum

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Heil, Leo Van 1605 births 1660s deaths Flemish Baroque painters Portrait miniaturists Flemish still life painters Flemish architects Artists from Brussels Architects from the Spanish Netherlands