Dirck Helmbreker
Encyclopedia
Dirck Helmbreker, Theodor Helmbreeker, or Teodoro Elembrech (1633–1696) was a Dutch Golden Age
painter of Italianate landscapes.
. He traveled to Rome
at a young age, where he remained until his death. His paintings belong to the group of artists known as the Bamboccianti
, or, as Houbraken writes, Bamboots, which is a specialization by Northern artists in small-scale genre
scenes in the manner of Pieter van Laer
while in Rome. Helmbreker arrived in Italy in 1654, eventually settling in Rome by the end of the decade.
. His genre scenes, which were among the last generation of the Bamboccianti, tended to be more classical
in inspiration than many their earlier low-life scenes. Ultimately, these works found great success with Italian collectors. In 1695 he was commissioned to paint the main altar piece of the Church of St. Julian of the Flemings
in Rome.
Houbraken described a painting from 1681 in the possession of Pieter Klok showing an Italian monastery with a group of poor people in the foreground with various handicaps being given soup from a large kettle ladled by a Franciscan monk. Helmbreker was very religious and donated often to the poor of Rome.
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...
painter of Italianate landscapes.
Biography
According to Houbraken he lived (1624–1694), but this has since been proven to be incorrect. He was born in Haarlem and became a pupil of Pieter de GrebberPieter de Grebber
Pieter Fransz de Grebber was a Dutch Golden Age painter.-Life:De Grebber was the oldest son of Frans Pietersz de Grebber , a painter and embroiderer in Haarlem, and the brother of the painters Maria and Albert. He learned to paint from his father and from Hendrick Goltzius...
. He traveled to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
at a young age, where he remained until his death. His paintings belong to the group of artists known as the Bamboccianti
Bamboccianti
The Bamboccianti were genre painters active in Rome from about 1625 until the end of the seventeenth century. Most were Dutch and Flemish artists who brought existing traditions of depicting peasant subjects from sixteenth-century Netherlandish art with them to Italy, and generally created small...
, or, as Houbraken writes, Bamboots, which is a specialization by Northern artists in small-scale genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
scenes in the manner of Pieter van Laer
Pieter van Laer
Pieter van Laer was a Dutch Golden Age painter of genre scenes, active for over a decade in Rome, where his nickname was Il Bamboccio...
while in Rome. Helmbreker arrived in Italy in 1654, eventually settling in Rome by the end of the decade.
Works
He was influenced by Sébastien BourdonSébastien Bourdon
Sébastien Bourdon was a French painter and engraver. His chef d'œuvre is The Crucifixion of St. Peter made for the cathedral of Notre Dame....
. His genre scenes, which were among the last generation of the Bamboccianti, tended to be more classical
Classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
in inspiration than many their earlier low-life scenes. Ultimately, these works found great success with Italian collectors. In 1695 he was commissioned to paint the main altar piece of the Church of St. Julian of the Flemings
Chiesa di San Giuliano dei Fiamminghi
The Church of St. Julian of the Flemings is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Julian the Hospitaller, located in Rome, Italy. Historically, the church has been the National Church in Rome of the Southern Netherlands and, in 1830, became the national church of the Kingdom of...
in Rome.
Houbraken described a painting from 1681 in the possession of Pieter Klok showing an Italian monastery with a group of poor people in the foreground with various handicaps being given soup from a large kettle ladled by a Franciscan monk. Helmbreker was very religious and donated often to the poor of Rome.
External links
- Dirck Helmbreeker 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 :...
- Entries for Dirck Helmbreker at Christie's