'Abraham van Diepenbeeck' (
May 9 1596,
's-Hertogenbosch -
December 31,
1675,
Antwerp) was an erudite and accomplished
Dutch painter of the
Flemish School.
After having received a classical education, Van Diepenbeeck became one of
Rubens' best pupils and assistants. He handled mythological and historical subjects, as well as portraits, with great skill and vigor and was a good, sound colourist. He went to
Antwerp about 1629 and made his first successes in painting on glass, among his productions being windows in the cathedral there representing the "Acts of Mercy". Similar work at the church of the Dominicans shows scenes from the "Life of Saint Paul". Van Diepenbeeek was admitted to the
guild of painters in 1638, and became director of the academy in 1641. It was after a visit to
Italy that the artist began to paint chiefly in oil and to illustrate. Among his illustrations are fifty-eight designs engraved by
Cornelis Bloemaert for the
Abbe de Marolles' "Tableaux du Temple des Muses". During the reign of
Charles I of England, van Diepenbeeck was in
England where, besides painting portraits of the
Duke of Newcastle and his family, the artist illustrated that nobleman's book on "Horsemanship".
External links
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Artcyclopedia entry
References
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