Alexander Adriansen, born 1625, excelled in Fruit, Flowers, Fish, and
Still Life; John Asselyn, 1610, Landscapes and Battles; Jacques Backer,
1530, History; Francis Badens, 1571, History and Portraits; Hendrick Van
Balen, 1560, History and Portraits; John Van Balen, 1611, History,
Landscapes, and Boys; Cornelius Biskop, 1630, Portraits and History;
John Francis Van Bloemen, called Orizzonte, 1656, Landscape; Peter Van
Bloemen, Battles, Encampments, and Italian Markets; Norbert Van Bloemen,
1672, Portraits and Conversations; Balthasar Vanden Bosch, 1675,
Conversations and Portraits; Peter Van Breda, 1630, Landscapes and
Cattle; John Van Breda, 1683, History, Landscapes, and Conversations;
Charles Breydel, called Cavalier, 1677, Landscapes; Francis Breydel,
1679, Portraits and Conversations; Paul Bril, 1554, Landscapes, large
and small; Elias Vanden Broek, 1657, Flowers, Fruit, and Serpents;
Abraham Brueghel, called the Neapolitan, 1692, Fruit and Flowers; Denis
Calvart, 1555, History and Landscapes; Joseph, or Joas Van Cleef,
History and Portraits; Henry and Martin Van Cleef, brothers, Henry
painted Landscapes, and Martin History; Giles Corgnet, called Giles of
Antwerp, 1530, History, grotesque; Egidius, or Gillies Coningsloo, or
Conixlo, 1544, Landscapes; Gonzalo Coques, 1618, Portraits and
Conversations; John Cosiers, 1603, History; Gasper de Crayer, 1585,
History and Portraits; Jacques Denys, 1645, History and Portraits;
William Derkye, History; John Baptist Van Deynum, 1620, Portraits in
Miniature, and History in Water Colours; Peter Eykens, 1599, History;
Francis Floris, called the Raphael of Flanders, 1520, History; James
Fouquieres, 1580, Landscapes; Sebastian Franks, or Vranx, 1571,
Conversations, History, Landscapes, and Battle Pieces; John Baptist
Franks, or Vranx, 1600, History and Conversations; John Fytt, 1625, Live
and Dead Animals, Birds, Fruit, Flowers, and Landscapes; William Gabron,
Still Life; Abraham Genoels, 1640, Landscapes and Portraits; Sir
Balthasar Gabier, 1592, Portrait in Miniature; Gillemans, 1672, Fruit
and Still Life; Jacob Grimmer, 1510, Landscapes; Peter Hardime, Fruit
and Flowers; Minderhout Hobbima, 1611, Landscapes; John Van Hoeck, 1600,
History and Portraits; Robert Van Hoeck, 1609, Battles; Dirk, or
Theodore Van Hoogeshaeten, 1596, Landscapes and Still Life; Cornelius
Huysman, 1648, Landscapes and Animals; Abraham Janssens, 1569, History;
John Van Kessel, 1626, Flowers, Portraits, Birds, Insects, and Reptiles;
David De Koning, Animals, Birds, and Flowers; Balthasar Van Lemens,
1637, History; N. Leyssens, 1661, History; Peter Van Lint, 1609, History
and Portraits; Godfrey Maes, 1660, History; Quintin Matsys, 1460,
History and Portraits; John Matsys, son of the above, Portrait and
History; Minderhout, 1637, Sea Ports and Landscapes; Peter Neefs, the
old, 1570, Churches, Perspective, and Architecture; William Van
Nieulant, 1584, Landscapes and Architecture; Adam Van Oort, 1557,
History, Portraits, and Landscapes; Bonarentine, Peters, 1614, Sea
Pieces, and particularly Storms; Erasmus Quellinus, 1607, History;
Jacques de Roore, 1686, History and Conversations; Martin Ryckaert,
1591, Landscapes, with Architecture and Ruins; David Ryckaert, the
younger, 1615, Conversations, and Apparitions to St. Anthony; Anthony
Schoonjans, 1655, History and Portraits; Cornelius Schut, 1600, History;
Peter Snayers, 1593, History, Battles, &c.; Francis Snyders, 1579,
Animals, Fruit, Still Life, and Landscapes; David Teniers, 1582,
Conversations; Sir Anthony Van Dyke, 1599, History and Portraits; Paul
Vansomer, 1576, Portraits; Lucas Vanuden, 1595, Landscapes; Adrian Van
Utrecht, 1599, Birds, Fruit, Flowers, and Dead Game; Gasper Peter
Verbruggen, 1668, Flowers; Simon Verelst, 1664, Fruit, Flowers, and
Portraits; Verendael, 1659, Fruit and Flowers; Tobias Verhaecht, 1566,
Landscapes and Architecture; Martin de Vos, 1520, History, Landscape,
and Portrait; Simon De Vos, 1603, History, Portraits, and Hunting; Lucas
De Waal, 1591, Battles and Landscapes; Adam Willaerts, 1577, Storms,
Calms, and Sea Ports; John Wildens, 1584, Landscapes and Figures.
Peter Paul Rubens was of a distinguished family at _Antwerp_; but
his father being (says Pilkington) under the necessity of quitting his
country, to avoid the calamities attendant on a civil war, retired for
security to Cologne; and during his residence in that city Rubens was
born, in 1577. The day of his nativity was the Feast of St. Peter and
St. Paul; and thence he received at the baptismal font the names of
these apostles.
Having been absent from his native country eight years, he was summoned
home by the repeated illness of his mother; but, though he hastened with
all speed, he did not reach Antwerp in time to afford his beloved parent
the consolations of his presence and affections. The loss of her
affected him deeply; and he intended, when he had arranged his private
affairs, to go and reside in Italy; but the Archduke Albert and the
Infanta Isabella exerted their interest to retain him in Flanders, and
in their service. He consequently established himself at Antwerp, where
he married his first wife, Elizabeth Brants, and built a magnificent
house, with a saloon in form of a rotunda, which he enriched with
antique statues, busts, vases, and pictures, by the most celebrated
masters; and here, surrounded by works of art, he carried, (says his
biographer,) into execution those numberless productions of his prolific
and rich invention, which once adorned his native country, but now are
become the spoil of war, and the tokens of conquest and ambition,
shining with equal lustre among super-eminent productions of painting in
the gallery of the Louvre.
The whole of the paintings, except two, which adorn the gallery of the
Luxembourg, were executed at Antwerp, by Rubens, for Mary de Medici.
He died in the year 1640, at the age of 63; and was buried, with
extraordinary pomp, in the church of St. James, at Antwerp, under the
altar of his private chapel, which he had previously decorated with a
very fine picture.