Antony Francis van der Meulen
Encyclopedia
Adam Frans van der Meulen (11 January 1632 – 15 October 1690) was a Flemish Baroque painter specialising in battle scenes. He was active first in Brussels, where he was a pupil of Pieter Snayers
, and from the 1660s onwards in Paris.
of Brussels http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/aria/aria_artists/00017207?lang=en. His first work as an independent artist was done in Brussels. He painted genre and history pieces. He joined the painters' guild in his native city, Brussels, in 1651. Focussing his art on representing horses and landscapes, his fame crossed borders and in 1662 was called to Paris
by Jean-Baptiste Colbert
, at the instance of Charles Le Brun
, to fill the post of battle painter to Louis XIV of France
.
His paintings during the campaigns of Flanders in 1667 so delighted Louis that from that date van der Meulen was ordered to accompany him in all his expeditions. In 1673 he was received into the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture, attained the grade of councillor in 1681, and died full of honors in Paris in 1690.
According to Houbraken, he was famous for his battle scenes (Conquêtes), before being invited to France. After his first wife died, Le Brun's cousin fell in love with him and he dared not refuse her, but her expensive tastes ruined him. It is doubtful today how much of this story is true, since Houbraken mentions also that he earned quite a nice living from his royal protector, and all of his expenses were paid for when he was "campaigning". He was buried in the St. Hippolyte church in Gobelins
.
He is best represented by the series of twenty-three paintings, mostly executed for Louis XIV, now in the Louvre
. They show that he always retained his Flemish predilections in point of color, although his style was modified by that of the French school.
Adam Frans van der Meulen ran a flourishing workshop that assisted him in completing private commissions for patrons that did not belong to the court of Louis XIV. He also designed tapestries for the Gobelins factory that depicted accurate historical details of the battles, and created paintings of hunting parties and landscapes http://wwar.com/masters/m/meulen-adam_frans_van_der.html.
He was appointed to a high position in the Royal Academy http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/aria/aria_artists/00017207?lang=en.
Pieter Snayers
Pieter Snayers was a Flemish Baroque painter known for representations of historical battle scenes.Born in Antwerp, he studied under Sebastiaen Vrancx before joining Antwerp's Guild of St. Luke in 1612...
, and from the 1660s onwards in Paris.
Biography
Van der Meulen was trained by the Belgian court painter Pieter SnayersPieter Snayers
Pieter Snayers was a Flemish Baroque painter known for representations of historical battle scenes.Born in Antwerp, he studied under Sebastiaen Vrancx before joining Antwerp's Guild of St. Luke in 1612...
of Brussels http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/aria/aria_artists/00017207?lang=en. His first work as an independent artist was done in Brussels. He painted genre and history pieces. He joined the painters' guild in his native city, Brussels, in 1651. Focussing his art on representing horses and landscapes, his fame crossed borders and in 1662 was called to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
by Jean-Baptiste Colbert
Jean-Baptiste Colbert
Jean-Baptiste Colbert was a French politician who served as the Minister of Finances of France from 1665 to 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. His relentless hard work and thrift made him an esteemed minister. He achieved a reputation for his work of improving the state of French manufacturing...
, at the instance of Charles Le Brun
Charles Le Brun
Charles Le Brun , a French painter and art theorist, became the all-powerful, peerless master of 17th-century French art.-Biography:-Early life and training:...
, to fill the post of battle painter to Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
.
His paintings during the campaigns of Flanders in 1667 so delighted Louis that from that date van der Meulen was ordered to accompany him in all his expeditions. In 1673 he was received into the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture, attained the grade of councillor in 1681, and died full of honors in Paris in 1690.
According to Houbraken, he was famous for his battle scenes (Conquêtes), before being invited to France. After his first wife died, Le Brun's cousin fell in love with him and he dared not refuse her, but her expensive tastes ruined him. It is doubtful today how much of this story is true, since Houbraken mentions also that he earned quite a nice living from his royal protector, and all of his expenses were paid for when he was "campaigning". He was buried in the St. Hippolyte church in Gobelins
Gobelins
-Industry:* Gobelins tapestry factory in Paris, France;* Moravská Gobelínová Manufaktura in Valašské Meziříčí, Czech Republic;-Others:* An area in Paris around the Gobelins manufactory;* A Paris metro station in that area: Les Gobelins ;...
.
He is best represented by the series of twenty-three paintings, mostly executed for Louis XIV, now in the Louvre
Louvre
The Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
. They show that he always retained his Flemish predilections in point of color, although his style was modified by that of the French school.
Adam Frans van der Meulen ran a flourishing workshop that assisted him in completing private commissions for patrons that did not belong to the court of Louis XIV. He also designed tapestries for the Gobelins factory that depicted accurate historical details of the battles, and created paintings of hunting parties and landscapes http://wwar.com/masters/m/meulen-adam_frans_van_der.html.
He was appointed to a high position in the Royal Academy http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/aria/aria_artists/00017207?lang=en.