Jacob Campo Weyerman
Encyclopedia
Jacob Campo Weyerman was an eccentric painter and writer during the period known as the Dutch Enlightenment
. His work encompassed flower and fruit still life paintings, satirical magazines, plays, and biographies of painters. He usually signed his paintings Campovivo.
, due to the fact that his father fought there, in the Dutch army, against the French. His mother was a very independent woman of Scottish descent, Elisabeth Sommeruell, who kept a market tent in Charleroi and eventually was able to afford a house in the center of Breda
. There he was taught in the arts and on reaching his majority, traveled to London
in 1704 and found work at the academy of Godfried Kneller. He specialized in the painting of flowers and fruit. According to Arnold Houbraken, he was a member of the Bentvueghels
with the nickname Compaviva, but this may be a mistake. Though Weyerman was known for his embellishments of the truth, he never boasted about Italy. Houbraken may have confused him with Jakob Christoph Weyermann, a German painter active in Augsburg
in the first half of the 17th century. In 1720 he returned to the Netherlands and started a periodical called Hermes.
He wote prose in a colorful style, and could flatter as easily as he offended his contemporaries. Jacob Campo Weyerman is not only interesting to modern readers for his literary qualities, but also as a source for historians on cultural life in the 18th century. Especially his magazines give a glimpse of daily life in Dutch taverns, coffee houses, and tourist attractions of his day.
After Arnold Houbraken died, he also published biographies of painters in his De levens-beschryvingen der Nederlandsche konst-schilders en konst-schilderessen in four parts during the years 1729-39. Though leaning heavily on Houbraken's work, he seems to have intended his version as a rebuttal to some of the anecdotes in Houbraken's work. Moreover, Weyerman also made use of one of Houbraken's sources, namely Cornelis de Bie
's Het Gulden Cabinet
. Ironically, Houbraken's son Jacobus Houbraken
made the portrait of him for his book, and in the decorative frame of the portrait, a piece of paper illustrating a book title page shows the words "Den Ontleeder der Gebrekken", which means the Anatomist of Faults. It is unclear today how many of Weyerman's anecdotes are based on truth or fiction. His weekly magazine were very popular, but attracted so many enemies of his sense for sensation and scandal, that he was sentenced to life imprisonment for slander. This was a particularly heavy sentence, and he lived in the Hague prison from 1738 until his death.
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
. His work encompassed flower and fruit still life paintings, satirical magazines, plays, and biographies of painters. He usually signed his paintings Campovivo.
Biography
As tradition holds, he was born in a military camp outside of CharleroiCharleroi
Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
, due to the fact that his father fought there, in the Dutch army, against the French. His mother was a very independent woman of Scottish descent, Elisabeth Sommeruell, who kept a market tent in Charleroi and eventually was able to afford a house in the center of 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...
. There he was taught in the arts and on reaching his majority, traveled to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1704 and found work at the academy of Godfried Kneller. He specialized in the painting of flowers and fruit. According to Arnold Houbraken, he was a member of the Bentvueghels
Bentvueghels
The Bentvueghels were a society of mostly Dutch and Flemish artists active in Rome from about 1620 to 1720. They are also known as the Schildersbent .-Activities:...
with the nickname Compaviva, but this may be a mistake. Though Weyerman was known for his embellishments of the truth, he never boasted about Italy. Houbraken may have confused him with Jakob Christoph Weyermann, a German painter active in Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
in the first half of the 17th century. In 1720 he returned to the Netherlands and started a periodical called Hermes.
He wote prose in a colorful style, and could flatter as easily as he offended his contemporaries. Jacob Campo Weyerman is not only interesting to modern readers for his literary qualities, but also as a source for historians on cultural life in the 18th century. Especially his magazines give a glimpse of daily life in Dutch taverns, coffee houses, and tourist attractions of his day.
After Arnold Houbraken died, he also published biographies of painters in his De levens-beschryvingen der Nederlandsche konst-schilders en konst-schilderessen in four parts during the years 1729-39. Though leaning heavily on Houbraken's work, he seems to have intended his version as a rebuttal to some of the anecdotes in Houbraken's work. Moreover, Weyerman also made use of one of Houbraken's sources, namely Cornelis de Bie
Cornelis de Bie
Cornelis de Bie was a Brabant rederijker, poet, jurist and minor politician from Lier.He is the author of about 64 works, mostly comedies...
's Het Gulden Cabinet
Het Gulden Cabinet
The Golden Cabinet of the Noble Free Art of Painting, or Het Gulden Cabinet vande Edel Vry Schilder-Const, as it was originally known in Dutch, is a series of artist biographies and panegyrics with engraved portraits written by the 17th century notary and rederijker Cornelis de Bie...
. Ironically, Houbraken's son Jacobus Houbraken
Jacobus Houbraken
Jacobus Houbraken was a Dutch engraver, who was born in Dordrecht.-Biography:Jacobus learned the art of engraving from his father, Arnold Houbraken...
made the portrait of him for his book, and in the decorative frame of the portrait, a piece of paper illustrating a book title page shows the words "Den Ontleeder der Gebrekken", which means the Anatomist of Faults. It is unclear today how many of Weyerman's anecdotes are based on truth or fiction. His weekly magazine were very popular, but attracted so many enemies of his sense for sensation and scandal, that he was sentenced to life imprisonment for slander. This was a particularly heavy sentence, and he lived in the Hague prison from 1738 until his death.
Literary works
- Democritus en Heraclitus Brabantsche Voyage (1701)
- De Rotterdamsche Hermes (1720–1721)
- Den ontleeder der gebreeken. Deel 1 (1724)
- Historie des Pausdoms (1725–1728)
- Den ontleeder der gebreeken. Deel 2 (1726)
- De levens-beschryvingen der Nederlandsche konst-schilders en konst-schilderessen, door Jakob Campo Weyerman, Konst-schider. Verrijkt met nieuwe Vignetten, Vierde Deel. Te Dordrecht, By Ab. Blussé en Zoon, MDCCLXIX (1729–1769)
- De Leevensbyzonderheden van J.H. baron van Syberg (1733)
- Den adelaar (1735)