Bernaert de Rijckere

Feast of the Gods

Bernaert de Rijckere[1] (c. 1535 – 1590) was a Flemish Renaissance painter known for his history paintings and portraits.

Life

He was born in Kortrijk.[2] His father was a silversmith who was relatively well-off and was active in the local Chamber of rhetoric of which he became a deacon. It is not documented who was the teacher of Bernaert de Rijckere. The earliest documented work is a Calvary painted in 1560 for the altar of the rhetoricians in the local St Martin Church in Kortrijk where the work is currently still located.[3] Shortly after the completion of this commission, de Rijckere moved to Antwerp where he joined the Guild of St. Luke as a master in 1561.[2]

De Rijckere appears to have had a close relationship with Anthonis Palermo, who was the deacon of the Antwerp Guild and was active as an artist as well as an art dealer. In 1563 de Rijckere married Maria Boots, who was presumably well-off. He bought a property in de Jodenstraat in Antwerp. He lived there most of his live. He would later buy more properties in the Antwerp area, a sign of his prosperous circumstances, particulary after the death of his father. He became a member of the Antwerp Chamber of rhetoric De Violieren in 1585. His sons Abraham and Daniel both trained with him.[3]

He died in Antwerp.[4]

Work

Portrait of Hester della Faille

De Rijckere is known for landscapes, portraits, Christian religious representations and mythical and allegorical paintings. He is now generally believed to be identifcal with the "Monogrammist "B"", the author of drawings signed with the monogram B, a number of which are held by the Louvre Museum. The Dutch art historian Hessel Miedema believes the monogrammist “B” should rather be identified with someone 'in the circle of Bernaert de Rijckere' than with Bernaert de Rijckere himself.[4]

On the basis of the drawings signed with monogram B, a number of paintings have now been attributed to de Rijckere.[5][6]

Only one of his works is currently still present in Antwerp, a Beheading of St Matthew in Antwerp’s Cathedral of Our Lady. There must have been more since Rubens owned a Feast of the Gods by him, one of the two Flemish Renaissance history paintings in Rubens’ estate (the other one was by Michiel Coxie). More works were located in his birthplace Courtrai. He received in 1585 a commission from the master of the Saint Martin’s Church in Courtrai for a tryptich on the Pentecost, which he completed three years later. The work showing a mature composition and rich palette is still located in the church.[3]

De Rijckere was also active as a copyist, an activity in which he was assisted by his sons. He copied works of Frans Floris, Marten de Vos, Jan van Cleef, Willem Key, Cornelis van de Capelle and Gillis van Coninxloo. His output as a copyist was so large that he was regarded as a painting 'manufacturer'. His clients included Antwerp's prominent citizens.[3]

References

Two Studies of Elephants and their Keepers
  1. ↑ Alternative spellings of name: Bernaert de Ryckere, Beernaert de Rijcke, Bernaert de Rijcke, Berneert de Rijcke, Beernaert de Rijckere, Berneert de Rijckere, Beernaert van Rues, Bernaert van Rues, Berneert van Rues, Beernaert de Rycke, Bernaert de Rycke, Berneert de Rycke, Beernaert de Ryckere, Berneert de Ryckere
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Bernaert de Rijckere in: Karel van Mander, Schilder-boeck, 1604, (Dutch)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 F. De Vleeschouwer, Bernaert de Rijckere, In: Nationaal Biografisch Woordenboek p 717, 718 (Dutch)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Bernaert de Rijckere at the Netherlands Institute for Art History (Dutch)
  5. ↑ Teresa Armółowicz-Kosecka, Anna Dobrzycka (1973). Sztuka francuska w zbiorach polskich, 1230-1830. Muzeum Narodowe w Poznaniu. p. 26.
  6. ↑ Nicole Dacos, ed. (1999). Fiamminghi a Roma: 1508-1608 : atti del Convegno internazionale : Bruxelles, 24-25 febbraio 1995. Istituto poligrafico e zecca dello stato. p. 236.

Further reading

External links