Jan de Baen
Encyclopedia
Jan de Baen was a Dutch
portrait
painter
who lived during the Dutch Golden Age
. He was a pupil of the painter Jacob Adriaensz Backer
in Amsterdam
from 1645 to 1648. He worked for Charles II of England
in his Dutch exile, and from 1660 until his death he lived and worked in The Hague
. His portraits were popular in his day, and he painted the most distinguished people of his time.
, Holland, Dutch Republic
. After his parents died, when he was a child, he lived with his uncle Hinderk Pyman (or Piemans) in Emden
. Jan de Baen received his first painting lessons from his uncle, who was a painter himself. From 1645 to 1648 he lived in Amsterdam
, where he was the pupil of painter Jacob Adriaensz Backer
.
After completing his training, he worked for the exiled court of Charles II of England
, but upon the English Restoration
of 1660 did not follow his patron, but moved to The Hague
, where he worked as a portrait painter
for the rest of his life. The Elector of Brandenburg asked him to work at his court in Berlin
, but he refused this invitation. He was the teacher of his son, the painter Jacobus de Baen
, and the pupils Johann Friedrich Bodecker, Denys Godijn, Hendrik van Limborch, Nicolaes van Ravesteyn, Petro van Rijs, Jan van Sweel, and Johannes Vollevens
.
He died in 1702 around his 69th birthday, and was buried in The Hague on 8 March 1702. In his biographical sketch of Jan de Baen, Houbraken claims that he taught his son Jacobus to paint, who died at 27.
, Johan de Witt
, the Grandduke of Tuscany
, and King-stadtholder William III of England
. Besides portraits, he also painted cityscape
s, history painting
s, and genre painting
s.
The German Meyers Konversations-Lexikon
(1885–1892) states that his large reputation during his life was not justified by his "characterless, rigid, and unattractively coloured images".
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
portrait
Portrait painting
Portrait painting is a genre in painting, where the intent is to depict the visual appearance of the subject. Beside human beings, animals, pets and even inanimate objects can be chosen as the subject for a portrait...
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...
who lived during 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...
. He was a pupil of the painter Jacob Adriaensz Backer
Jacob Adriaensz Backer
Jacob Adriaensz Backer was a Dutch Golden Age painter. He produced about 140 paintings in twenty years. In his style he was influenced by Wybrand de Geest, Rubens and Abraham Bloemaert. Also his drawings are highly interesting and skillful...
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...
from 1645 to 1648. He worked for Charles II of England
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
in his Dutch exile, and from 1660 until his death he lived and worked 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...
. His portraits were popular in his day, and he painted the most distinguished people of his time.
Biography
Jan de Baen was born on 20 February 1633 in HaarlemHaarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
, Holland, Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
. After his parents died, when he was a child, he lived with his uncle Hinderk Pyman (or Piemans) in Emden
Emden
Emden is a city and seaport in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia; in 2006, the city had a total population of 51,692.-History:...
. Jan de Baen received his first painting lessons from his uncle, who was a painter himself. From 1645 to 1648 he lived 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...
, where he was the pupil of painter Jacob Adriaensz Backer
Jacob Adriaensz Backer
Jacob Adriaensz Backer was a Dutch Golden Age painter. He produced about 140 paintings in twenty years. In his style he was influenced by Wybrand de Geest, Rubens and Abraham Bloemaert. Also his drawings are highly interesting and skillful...
.
After completing his training, he worked for the exiled court of Charles II of England
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
, but upon the English Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
of 1660 did not follow his patron, but moved to 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...
, where he worked as a portrait painter
Portrait painting
Portrait painting is a genre in painting, where the intent is to depict the visual appearance of the subject. Beside human beings, animals, pets and even inanimate objects can be chosen as the subject for a portrait...
for the rest of his life. The Elector of Brandenburg asked him to work at his court in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, but he refused this invitation. He was the teacher of his son, the painter Jacobus de Baen
Jacobus de Baen
Jacobus de Baen , was a Dutch Golden Age portrait painter who was the son of Jan de Baen.-Biography:According to Houbraken his father Jan de Baan was so sad when his son died at 27 that he died himself only two years later.According to the RKD he learned to paint from his father Jan de Baen...
, and the pupils Johann Friedrich Bodecker, Denys Godijn, Hendrik van Limborch, Nicolaes van Ravesteyn, Petro van Rijs, Jan van Sweel, and Johannes Vollevens
Johannes Vollevens
Johannes Vollevens , was a Dutch Golden Age painter.-Biography:According to Houbraken he was born in 1654, "the same year that took Fabricius by a stroke of fate", and though there were few painters in Getruidenberg to copy from, he sketched and drew in charcoal so enthusiastically that his parents...
.
He died in 1702 around his 69th birthday, and was buried in The Hague on 8 March 1702. In his biographical sketch of Jan de Baen, Houbraken claims that he taught his son Jacobus to paint, who died at 27.
Works
His portraits were popular in his own day, and he painted the most distinguished people of his time. He portrayed Cornelis de WittCornelis de Witt
Cornelis de Witt was a Dutch politician.-Biography:Cornelis de Witt was a member of the old Dutch patrician family De Witt. He was born on 15 June 1623 in Dordrecht, Holland, Dutch Republic...
, Johan de Witt
Johan de Witt
Johan de Witt, heer van Zuid- en Noord-Linschoten, Snelrewaard, Hekendorp and IJsselveere was a key figure in Dutch politics in the mid 17th century, when its flourishing sea trade in a period of globalization made the United Provinces a leading European power during the Dutch Golden Age...
, the Grandduke of Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, and King-stadtholder William III of England
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
. Besides portraits, he also painted cityscape
Cityscape
A cityscape is the urban equivalent of a landscape. Townscape is roughly synonymous with cityscape, though it implies the same difference in urban size and density implicit in the difference between the words city and town. In urban design the terms refer to the configuration of built forms and...
s, history painting
History painting
History painting is a genre in painting defined by subject matter rather than an artistic style, depicting a moment in a narrative story, rather than a static subject such as a portrait...
s, and genre painting
Genre painting
Genre works, also called genre scenes or genre views, are pictorial representations in any of various media that represent scenes or events from everyday life, such as markets, domestic settings, interiors, parties, inn scenes, and street scenes. Such representations may be realistic, imagined, or...
s.
The German Meyers Konversations-Lexikon
Meyers Konversations-Lexikon
Meyers Konversations-Lexikon or Meyers Lexikon was a major German encyclopedia that existed in various editions, and several titles, from 1839 until 1984, when it merged with the Brockhaus encyclopedia....
(1885–1892) states that his large reputation during his life was not justified by his "characterless, rigid, and unattractively coloured images".