Ambrosius Bosschaert
Encyclopedia
Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder (18 January 1573 – 1621) was a still life
painter
of the Dutch Golden Age
.
(1587–1613), where he moved with his family because of the threat of religious persecution. He specialised in painting still life
s with flowers, which he signed with the monogram AB (the B in the A). At the age of twenty-one, he joined the city’s Guild of Saint Luke
and later became dean. Not long after, Bosschaert had married and established himself as a leading figure in the fashionable floral painting genre.
He had three sons who all became flower painters; Ambrosius II
, Johannes
and Abraham
. His brother-in-law Balthasar van der Ast
also lived and worked in his workshop and moved with him on his travels. Bosschaert later worked in Amsterdam
(1614), Bergen op Zoom
(1615–1616), Utrecht
(1616–1619), and Breda
(1619). In 1619 when he moved to Utrecht, his brother-in-law van der Ast entered the Utrecht Guild of St. Luke, where the renowned painter Abraham Bloemaert
had just become dean. The painter Roelandt Savery (1576–1639) entered the St. Luke’s guild in Utrecht at about the same time. Savery had considerable influence on the Bosschaert dynasty. Bosschaert died in The Hague
. After his death, Balthasar van der Ast took over his workshop and pupils.
His sons and his pupil and brother-in-law, Balthasar van der Ast
, were among those to uphold the Bosschaert dynasty which continued until the mid-17th century.
It may not be a coincidence that this trend coincided with a national obsession with exotic flowers
which made flower portraits highly sought after.
Although he was highly in demand, he did not create many pieces because he was also employed as an art dealer.
Still life
A still life is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which may be either natural or man-made...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
of the Dutch Golden Age
Dutch Golden Age
The Golden Age was a period in Dutch history, roughly spanning the 17th century, in which Dutch trade, science, military and art were among the most acclaimed in the world. The first half is characterised by the Eighty Years' War till 1648...
.
Biography
He was born in Antwerp, where he started his career, but he spent most of it in MiddelburgMiddelburg
Middelburg is a municipality and a city in the south-western Netherlands and the capital of the province of Zeeland. It is situated in the Midden-Zeeland region. It has a population of about 48,000.- History of Middelburg :...
(1587–1613), where he moved with his family because of the threat of religious persecution. He specialised in painting still life
Still life
A still life is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which may be either natural or man-made...
s with flowers, which he signed with the monogram AB (the B in the A). At the age of twenty-one, he joined the city’s Guild of Saint Luke
Guild of Saint Luke
The Guild of Saint Luke was the most common name for a city guild for painters and other artists in early modern Europe, especially in the Low Countries. They were named in honor of the Evangelist Luke, the patron saint of artists, who was identified by John of Damascus as having painted the...
and later became dean. Not long after, Bosschaert had married and established himself as a leading figure in the fashionable floral painting genre.
He had three sons who all became flower painters; Ambrosius II
Ambrosius Bosschaert II
Ambrosius Bosschaert II was a Dutch Golden Age painter who specialized in flower paintings in the manner of his father Ambrosius Bosschaert.-Biography:...
, Johannes
Johannes Bosschaert
Johannes Bosschaert was a member of the Bosschaert family of still life painters.-Biography:...
and Abraham
Abraham Bosschaert
Abraham Bosschaert was a Dutch Golden Age painter.-Biography:Bosschaert was born in Middelburg. According to the RKD he was a member of the Bosschaert dynasty. Like his father Ambrosius Bosschaert and older brothers, he signed his works with a monogram; AB, but this was only discovered in 1992...
. His brother-in-law Balthasar van der Ast
Balthasar van der Ast
Balthasar van der Ast was a Dutch Golden Age painter who specialized in still lifes of flowers and fruit, as well as painting a number of remarkable shell still lifes; he is considered to be a pioneer in the genre of shell painting. His still lifes often contain insects and lizards...
also lived and worked in his workshop and moved with him on his travels. Bosschaert later worked in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
(1614), Bergen op Zoom
Bergen op Zoom
Bergen op Zoom is a municipality and a city located in the south of the Netherlands.-History:Bergen op Zoom was granted city status probably in 1266. In 1287 the city and its surroundings became a lordship as it was separated from the lordship of Breda. The lordship was elevated to a margraviate...
(1615–1616), Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
(1616–1619), and Breda
Breda
Breda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. As a fortified city, the city was of strategic military and political significance...
(1619). In 1619 when he moved to Utrecht, his brother-in-law van der Ast entered the Utrecht Guild of St. Luke, where the renowned painter Abraham Bloemaert
Abraham Bloemaert
Abraham Bloemaert was a Dutch painter and printmaker in etching and engraving. He was one of the "Haarlem Mannerists" from about 1585, but in the new century altered his style to fit new Baroque trends...
had just become dean. The painter Roelandt Savery (1576–1639) entered the St. Luke’s guild in Utrecht at about the same time. Savery had considerable influence on the Bosschaert dynasty. Bosschaert died in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. After his death, Balthasar van der Ast took over his workshop and pupils.
Style
His bouquets were painted symmetrically and with scientific accuracy in small dimensions and normally on copper. They sometimes included symbolic and religious meanings. At the time of his death, Bosschaert commanded a thousand amateur painters for the production of one floral painting. Bosschaert became one of the first artists to specialise in still life, and in doing so he started a tradition of painting detailed flower bouquets, which typically consisted of tulips, roses and an exotic species.Legacy
Balthasar van der Ast
Balthasar van der Ast was a Dutch Golden Age painter who specialized in still lifes of flowers and fruit, as well as painting a number of remarkable shell still lifes; he is considered to be a pioneer in the genre of shell painting. His still lifes often contain insects and lizards...
, were among those to uphold the Bosschaert dynasty which continued until the mid-17th century.
It may not be a coincidence that this trend coincided with a national obsession with exotic flowers
Tulip mania
Tulip mania or tulipomania was a period in the Dutch Golden Age during which contract prices for bulbs of the recently introduced tulip reached extraordinarily high levels and then suddenly collapsed...
which made flower portraits highly sought after.
Although he was highly in demand, he did not create many pieces because he was also employed as an art dealer.
External links
- Ambrosius Bosschaert on ArtnetArtnetartnet is an online service provider for the international art market with headquarters in New York, Berlin and Paris. Additionally, artnet has regional offices in China, the UK and Russia.- Business model :...
- A number of Ambrosius Bosschaert's paintings