Adam van Vianen

Adam van Vianen with a hammer in hand, by his son Christiaen and the engraver Theodorus van Kessel

Adam van Vianen (1568 1627) was a Dutch Golden Age medallist, engraver and silversmith.

Biography

Plaque with the Wedding of Peleus and Thetis after Abraham Bloemaert

Van Vianen was born and died in Utrecht. He was the oldest son of Willem Eerstensz. van Vianen, the brother of Paulus Willemsz. van Vianen and the father of Christian van Vianen.[1] On 12 October 1593, he is married to Aeltgen Verhorst, with whom he has a son. After his wife's death, he married Catharina van Wapenveldt, with whom he had three children. He is believed to have died on 25 or 26 August 1627.[1] Adam van Vianen's son Christian was considered to be his father's equal in skill, according to Joachim von Sandrart.[2]

He became known along with his brother for the auricular style of cartilaginous arabesques in baroque art. Paulus designed them and Adam transformed them into three-dimensional objects. The memorial jug he designed to commemorate Paul's death (1613) in Prague is one fluid embodiment of this art.[3]

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References

  1. 1.0 1.1 De Jonge, C.H. (1937). "Adam van Vianen, Zilversmid te Utrecht: Omstreeks 1565—1627". Oud Holland 54 (3): 100–114.
  2. Von Sandrart, Joachim (1675–1680). Kirchner, T.; Nova, A.; Blüm, C.; Schreurs, A.; Wübbena, T., eds. Teutsche Academie der Bau-, Bild- und Mahlerey-Künste, Nuremberg 1675–1680 (Scholarly annotated online edition ed.). Nuremberg. p. 341. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  3. silver jug designed by Adam van Vianen for the Amsterdam smith's guild to commemorate his brother Paul's death in 1613; in the collection of the Rijksmuseum

Further reading