Painters and Communities in Seventeenth-Century Brussels

Innovative exploration of the Brussels Baroque and the social dimensions of art production.

In seventeenth-century Brussels, the careers of painters were shaped not only by their artistic talents but also by the communities to which they belonged. This book explores the intricate relationship between the social structures and artistic production of the 353 painters who became masters in the Brussels Guild of Painters, Goldbeaters, and Stained-Glass Makers between 1599 and 1706. This innovative study combines quantitative digital analysis with detailed qualitative case studies, offering a novel approach to the social history of art. By examining the various communities in which these artists operated, this book provides new insights into how early modern painters — both in Brussels and beyond — created their art, earned a living, and navigated the complexities of urban life. Painters and Communities in Seventeenth-Century Brussels also presents the first overview of the Brussels Baroque, with extensive biographical lists of the city’s master painters.

LIST OF FIGURES
LIST OF TABLES
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

PART I THE THREE PLACES OF LIVING

CHAPTER 1. THE FIRST PLACE: THE FAMILY AND KINSHIP PATTERNS OF BRUSSELS’ PAINTERS
1.1 The Early Modern Family of Painters in Art History
1.2 Brussels in the Seventeenth Century
1.3 Marriage Patterns and Independent Households
1.4 Occupational Continuity
1.5 Spiritual Kinship: Godparents and Marriage Witnesses
1.6 Conclusion

CHAPTER 2. THE SECOND PLACE: BRUSSELS’ PAINTERS AND THE LOCAL GUILD OF PAINTERS, GOLDBEATERS, AND STAINED-GLASS MAKERS
2.1 A Social Approach to the History of Guilds in the Southern Netherlands
2.2 The Brussels Guild of Painters, Goldbeaters, and Stained-Glass Makers During the Seventeenth Century
2.3 The Guild’s Conditions of Membership and Increasing Openness to Outsiders
2.4 Social Mobility Within the Guild
2.5 Occupational Ties and Information Flows
2.6 Conclusion

CHAPTER 3. THE THIRD PLACE: THE SOCIAL LIFE OF BRUSSELS’ PAINTERS BEYOND HOME AND WORK
3.1 The ‘Third Place’ in the Early Modern Southern Netherlands
3.2 Public Houses
3.3 Chambers of Rhetoric
3.4 Confraternities
3.5 Parishes and Neighbourhoods
3.6 Conclusion

PART II THE THREE PLACES OF PAINTING

CHAPTER 4. PAINTING FOR THE COURT: A FAMILY OF PAINTERS AT THE START OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
4.1 Brussels’ Painters and the Archdukes’ Patronage
4.2 The Noveliers Family of Painters
4.3 The Noveliers Family’s Privileged Position at the Court
4.4 The Noveliers Family’s Activities Outside the Court
4.5 Conclusion

CHAPTER 5. PAINTING FOR THE MARKET: THE SONIAN FOREST DEPICTED AROUND THE MID-SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
5.1 The Sonian Forest Painters in Art-Historical Literature
5.2 The Growing Demand for Native Landscapes
5.3 The Sonian Forest Painters’ Network
5.4 Collaborations
5.5 Conclusion

CHAPTER 6. PAINTING FOR THE TAPESTRY INDUSTRY: THE CO-PRODUCTION OF TAPESTRY CARTOONS AT THE END OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
6.1 The Increasing Interest in Brussels’ Tapestry Designers and Cartoon Painters
6.2 Adapting to a Changing Taste
6.3 Designing and Painting Tapestry Cartoons
6.4 The Importance of Spatial Proximity
6.5 Conclusion

GENERAL CONCLUSION
APPENDICES
NOTES
SOURCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY

Rudy Jos Beerens

Rudy Jos Beerens, PhD, is an art historian and curator at the RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History in The Hague.