Jan van Bijlert
Encyclopedia
Jan Hermansz van Bijlert (1597 or 1598 – November 1671) was a Dutch portrait painter in the style of Caravaggio
.
, the son of a the stained glass
worker Herman Beernts van Bijlert, and became a student of Abraham Bloemaert
. He moved to Amsterdam, where he married in 1625.. He travelled in France
and Italy
on a Grand Tour
. In Rome
in 1621 he became a founding member of the painters' circle known as the Bentvueghels
with the nickname "Aeneas" along with Cornelis van Poelenburch and Willem Molijn. In 1625 he was back in Utrecht, where after he married, he became a member of the schutterij
and in 1630 became a member of the Utrecht Guild of St. Luke
and the Reformed church. During the years 1632-1637 he was active as deacon of the Guild of At. Luke, and in 1634 he was appointed regent of the Sint-Jobsgasthuis. In 1639 he helped form a painter's school, the "Schilders-College", where he served as regent. He died in Utrecht.
Caravaggio
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was an Italian artist active in Rome, Naples, Malta, and Sicily between 1593 and 1610. His paintings, which combine a realistic observation of the human state, both physical and emotional, with a dramatic use of lighting, had a formative influence on the Baroque...
.
Biography
Jan van Bijlert was born at UtrechtUtrecht (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...
, the son of a the stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
worker Herman Beernts van Bijlert, and became a student of 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...
. He moved to Amsterdam, where he married in 1625.. He travelled in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
on a Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
. In 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...
in 1621 he became a founding member of the painters' circle known as 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 "Aeneas" along with Cornelis van Poelenburch and Willem Molijn. In 1625 he was back in Utrecht, where after he married, he became a member of the schutterij
Schutterij
Schutterij refers to a voluntary city guard or citizen militia in the medieval and early modern Netherlands, intended to protect the town or city from attack and act in case of revolt or fire. Their training grounds were often on open spaces within the city, near the city walls, but, when the...
and in 1630 became a member of the Utrecht Guild of St. Luke
Utrecht Guild of St. Luke
The Utrecht Guild of Saint Luke refers to two artist collectives in Utrecht ; the old Catholic Zadelaarsgilde dating from the middle ages, as well as the newer Sint Lucas Gilde established in 1611. The first collective was for a number of trades that were connected to the art industry, though the...
and the Reformed church. During the years 1632-1637 he was active as deacon of the Guild of At. Luke, and in 1634 he was appointed regent of the Sint-Jobsgasthuis. In 1639 he helped form a painter's school, the "Schilders-College", where he served as regent. He died in Utrecht.