Sebastian Vrancx

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Sebastian Vrancx (also written as Sebastiaan or Sebastiaen) (22 January 1573 - 19 May 1647) was a Flemish painter and etcher of the Antwerp school of Northern Baroque. He was an apprentice in the workshop of Adam Van Noort, who also trained many illustrious painters such as Peter Paul Rubens, Jacob Jordaens and Hendrik van Balen. He also visited the workshop of the Antwerp painter Paul Bril in Rome around 1600.

Generally now regarded of very moderate ability, he was nevertheless esteemed as one of the main painters of his time, as attested by the fact that Peter Paul Rubens owned in his private collection some paintings of Vrancx ^[1]. He was even elected dean of the Antwerp painters' guild of St. Lucas. Jan Brueghel the Elder also worked a few times together with Sebastian Vrancx ^[2]. He also worked under the direction of Jan Brueghel, and together with Rubens, Frans Francken the Younger, Van Balen, Franz Snyders and Joos de Momper the Younger at the Allegory of the Senses, two works commissioned at the occasion of the archduke Albert's visit to Antwerp.

Inner view of the Jesuit church in Antwerp (1630); Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Most of his pictures represent biblical scenes or scenes of war, such as the sack of towns, cavalry combats, genre paintings and allegorical subjects. Though occasionally vigorous in drawing, his paintings are dull and heavy in tone.

He was at the same time a writer of poetry, comedies and tragicomedies for the chamber of rhetoric De Violieren. He was also district head and captain of the militia.

His works can be found in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Groeninge Museum in Bruges (both in Belgium) and the Noordbrabants museum in 's-Hertogenbosch and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (the Netherlands). He is also represented with several drawings or paintings at the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, the Harvard University Art Museums, the Louvre, Paris and several other museums.