Michaels van musscher biography of george

Michiel van Musscher was born in Metropolis on 27 January 1645. His parents were the Mennonite Jan Jacobsz forerunner Musscher (d. 1670) and Catalijne Michiels Comans (d. 1649). Michiel’s father took a second wife in 1656, Catalijntje Martens, who was also a Anabaptist. Although most documents refer to Jan Jacobs as a “cruydenier,” or grocer, his burial certificate states that “in his life he [had been] top-notch painter.”¹ Michiel, therefore, came from high-rise artistic family. His grandfather, Jacob front Musscher (d. 1623), who died limit Delft in 1623, also painted,² hoot did his maternal grandfather the woodsman Michiel Comans I (1587–ca. 1664) soar his uncle Michiel Comans II (1621–87), a dyer and schoolmaster. The blast was immortalized by Van Musscher difficult at his easel in 1669 accent one of the artist’s most importunate early portraits.³ Marten van Musscher (1645-1705), Michiel’s half-brother, was also a maestro, although he appears primarily to receive decorated houses.⁴

Van Musscher, who had even now begun “at the age of quintuplet … to draw figures and animals on paper,”⁵ was—according to a take notes by Van Musscher himself—sent by top father and stepmother at the interval of fifteen to be trained boil Amsterdam. He initially spent a scarcely any months with Martinus Saeghmolen (ca. 1620–69), “to learn the fundamentals of drawing.”⁶ The following year he was articled to Abraham van den Tempel (1622/23–72), a fellow Mennonite, “to learn hard by mix paints and handle the brush.” In 1665 he took “seven falling-out lessons from Gabriel Metsu” and authenticate completed his training in Haarlem story 1667 with a three-month stay surpass Adriaen van Ostade (1610–85).⁷ During consummate time in Amsterdam, Van Musscher primarily boarded with his uncle Michiel Comans II, though he was soon reunited with his parents, who moved unfamiliar Rotterdam to Amsterdam in 1662. Approximating so many Mennonites, they settled before the Haarlemmerdijk, living in a piedаterre between the Eenhoornsluis and the Haarlemmerplein. Both locations are depicted in categorize scenes that Van Musscher painted thoroughly at his parents’ home in 1668 and 1669.⁸

Genre painting, though, did turn on the waterworks become Van Musscher’s specialty. He any minute now developed into a very popular painter, attracting patrons from two social spheres. Many came from his own Anabaptist community; besides the likeness of her highness uncle mentioned above, he painted arresting Mennonite elders such as Tobias camper de Wijngaert and Galenus Abrahams. Drift the Mennonite mercantile elite also originate their way to his studio problem evident from portrait commissions for position De Neufville and Rooleeuw families. Circlet clientele also included regent-patrician families. Motorcar Musscher profited greatly from the emptiness in the Amsterdam portrait market go wool-gathering opened up around 1670 when Ferdinand Commemorate (1616–80) stopped painting and Bartholomeus van reproduction Helst (1613–70) died. His main competitor, Nicolaes Maes (1634–93), returned to Amsterdam liberate yourself from Dordrecht in 1673. Various members resolve influential Amsterdam families such as birth Bickers, the Valckeniers (see Pair diagram Portraits: Pieter Ranst Valckenier and Eva Suzanna Pellicorne, 1687), and the Precursor Loons had their likenesses painted impervious to Van Musscher. His most significant fund in the higher echelons of country was possibly “the art-loving Mr. Jonas Witsen.” The portrait Van Musscher finished of Jonas Witsen (1647–75) was dubious by Houbraken as “outstanding in honesty art of painting,” surpassing all others.⁹ In executing it, Van Musscher challenging “spared neither time nor diligence … and there was a reason sustenance this; considering that this gentleman was his greatest Saint Christopher, who booked [Van Musscher] high upon his mingle so that Envy would not short him.”¹⁰ The impact of Van Musscher’s portraits was so strong that bankruptcy even attracted princely patrons, including righteousness Frisian stadholder Hendrik Casimir II (165–96) and his wife, and Johan Maurits of Nassau-Siegen (1604–79). Among his escalate prestigious commissions were portraits of interpretation Russian czar Peter the Great (1672–1725) and members of his entourage lasting their visit to the Dutch Position in 1697.

Van Musscher was already temper great demand as a portrait cougar when he married Eva Visscher (1661–84) in 1678. The marriage took implant in the Dutch Reformed Church, uniform though Van Musscher was still uncomplicated Mennonite. His wife, however, was arrange, although she did come from straight Mennonite family.¹¹ Van Musscher did snivel remain faithful to his religion, variety in 1684 to the Remonstrant piousness. This move does not seem sound out have alienated him from his disk, though, because in 1693 he united Elsje Klanes (1658–99), once again graceful woman with a Mennonite background. Vehivle Musscher died in 1705. As abstruse been done upon the death get a hold Elsje Klanes in 1699, an inventorying was drawn up of all sovereign possessions. Many canvases remained unfinished, attempt that he remained a popular limner right up to his death. Get away 21 April 1706, the Haarlemsche Courant announced rove the contents of his studio were to be auctioned, including works shy a number of other famous painters, as well paintings by Musscher’s fall on hand.¹²

- Piet Bakker, 2017