QUAST, PETER, a painter of grotesque figures, as drunken boors, beggars, and assemblies of peasants merry-making. His pictures have much of burlesque humour, though of the lowest class of vulgarity, and are not only tolerated, but esteemed for their spirited penciling and clear colouring. His etchings are numerous, some of them in the style of Callot, but his pictures are rare. It is supposed that he was born at the Hague in the early part of the seventeenth century; it is only certain that he was living in 1638 from finding that date on some of his prints. RYCKAERT, DAVID, towards the latter part of his life painted the whimsical and ridiculous subjects then in vogue; such as spectral appearances, temptations of anchorites, attended by grotesque fantastical objects, more alarming than tempting, assemblies of witches and other diableries, in imitation and rivalry of his great contemporary, David Teniers. For these monstrosities he found patrons among princes, who are said to be generally fond of low company, and was liberally rewarded for pandering to their amusement; at present they are valued for the rich and masterly colouring and handling, and the care bestowed on the finishing. See Interiors and Conversations. TENIERS, DAVID, the Younger, degraded himself and his art in painting those absurdities and indecencies called Incantations and Temptations of St. Anthony. The objects he has introduced must have caused a cruel racking of his brain to devise forms so incongruous, filthy, diabolical, and, in most instances, so unmeaning; where the meaning is obvious it is disgusting. No person with any pretension to refinement of taste can contemplate such subjects with pleasure; there is neither wit, nor humour, nor playfulness of imagination exhibited in these compositions; they seem to be the hallucinations of one suffering the effects of a distempered brain. On some of these wild absurdities the painter has lavished all his powers of art in drawing, colouring, and chiaroscuro, thereby rendering himself, in the other respects, more amenable to censure, inasmuch as it indicates that the debasement was voluntary. See the article David Teniers. AKERBOOM, TOWNS AND VILLAGES. painted cities and villages in Holland about the middle of the seventeenth century; the execution is admirable and highly finished. ANTONISZ, CORNELIUS, who lived in the first half of the sixteenth century, painted interiors of cities, as is known by twelve views of Amsterdam with its principal public buildings, engraved by him on wood, and by a view of that city as it appeared in 1536, which is still preserved in the treasury chamber: the prints are rare. BAUR, NICOLAS, who was eminent in marine subjects, also painted landscapes with views of towns and villages; sometimes under the aspect of winter, and sometimes by moonlight. All his works are held in estimation by his countrymen, and are rarely seen out of Holland. See under the head of Marine Painters. BERKHEYDE, or BERKHEYDEN, GERARD, painted the principal buildings, squares, and leading streets of Amsterdam, Haerlem, and other cities of Holland, in which he was assisted by his brother Job, who painted the figures. There is great suavity of colour in all of Berkheyde's pictures, generally approaching to grey, and great truth in the perspective. See Analogists of Vander Heyde. COMPE, JAN TEN. See Analogists of Vander Heyde. EKELS, JAN, painted public buildings and views of cities, in which he imitated Jan Ten Compe, with whom he had probably studied under Dirck Dalens; his pictures are of small size, well coloured, and neatly finished. He died at Amsterdam in 1781. FARGUE, PAUL CONSTANTINE LA. His pictures are of small dimensions, representing views in the environs and interior of the Hague, with numerous figures, and are of a pleasing character; his drawings of similar scenes are, perhaps, held in the greater estimation by collectors. He died in 1782. GRAAF, or GRAVE, JOSHUA DE, an officer in the service of Holland, painted views of cities, fortified places, and encampments. He lived at the end of the seventeenth century. Timothy de Graaf is also mentioned in several catalogues as a painter of views in the vicinity of Amsterdam; it is probably the same artist, as the dates correspond. pen HEYDE, or HEYDEN, JAN VANDER, the most eminent of topographical painters in design, colour, and exquisite finishing, has left representations of all the principal cities and towns of Holland, and of many of the picturesque villages with which it abounds. In the cities he selected for his subject the public squares in which are erected the nobler buildings, such as the Stadthouse at Amsterdam, the town halls in other places, churches of remarkable architecture, the leading streets ornamented with the mansions of the wealthy, or the grand entrance through an avenue of trees and flanked by a canal. The cities of Cologne, Dusseldorf, Brussels, as well as those of Holland, as they appeared in his day, are exhibited in his pictures with all the advantages that a tasteful selection of parts, richness of colouring, and wonderful ciling could bestow. Towns of lesser importance are generally represented as traversed by a canal, on which is seen a drawbridge; the houses on both sides, with ornamental trees in front, in accurate perspective conduct the eye of the observer to the extremity. Villages, in like manner, are on the bank of a river; the church, a conventual building, and perhaps some ancient ruins, are important objects among the humble cottages of the peasantry. On the river are small vessels and rafts of timber, materially assisting the perspective gradation. The figures and animals in the greater number of these several views are by the pencil of Adrian van de Velde, and so congenial were the minds of these admirable artists that the work of each is in perfect accordance with that of the other. Some of Vander Heyde's pictures are also ornamented with figures by Eglon Vander Neer; but none have additions by inferior painters. The collections in England that can boast of pictures by this master, are those of her Majesty, the Earl of Ellesmere, the Duke of Wellington, the Marquis of Bute, the Duke of Rutland, the Duke of Buccleuch, Lord Ashburton, Mr. Hope, and Sir Robert Peel. Several foreign galleries are richly stored with them; particularly the Hermitage at St. Petersburg, the Musée at Amsterdam, and the Louvre. HOVE, B. J. VAN. See Analogists of Vander Heyde. KERKHOFF, DANIEL, born at Amsterdam in 1766, painted landscapes with waterfalls, villages, and views of cities. The Dutch writers speak highly of his performances, and think them deserving of being placed in the first rank. His pictures are certainly good, but there are several modern Dutch painters that may dispute precedence with him. He died in 1821. KEUNE, HENRI, painted views of cities in the style of Berkheyde, which he enlivened with numerous figures; they form very fine pictures. He was born at Haerlem in 1738, and died in 1788. KUNST, CORNELIUS, born at Leyden in 1493, died in 1544; among other subjects, he painted views of cities. His pictures are well designed and warmly coloured. He was the son of Cornelius Engelbrechtsen, and should be so named, but the Dutch writers always call him Kunst, alluding to his profession, or perhaps as a term of approbation. LIENDER, PETER VAN, born at Utrecht in 1727, painted views on the Rhine, and of towns and villages in Germany and Switzerland. He returned to his own country, and died at Utrecht in 1797. MURANT, EMANUEL, in his exterior views of towns and villages, approaches nearer to Vander Heyden in penciling and colouring than any other of his analogists. There is much the same attention paid to minute detail in the construction of the buildings, but his selections are more confined, and seldom exhibit grand objects of architecture. See Analogists of Vander Heyde. OUWATER, ISAAC. See Analogists of Vander Heyde. RADEMACKER, ABRAHAM, designed and engraved several hundred views of towns and cities in Holland, and introduced many remarkable buildings in his landscapes painted in oil. He was born at Amsterdam in 1675, and died in 1735. SCHOENMACKER, JAN PIETERSZ, born at Dort in 1755, painted views of cities in imitation of Vander Heyde, which are enlivened with figures and animals by other modern Dutch artists. Some are enriched with vessels by J. C. Schotel. He died in 1842. TORENBURG, GERARD, painted landscapes with views of cities, which, as well as his drawings, are held in high estimation by his countrymen. He was born at Amsterdam in 1737, and died in 1785. ULFT, JACOB VANDER, painted views of the most remarkable places in Rome and the vicinity, (though it is said that he never was there,) and crowded them with figures well grouped and appropriately habited. His pictures are remarkable for elaborate finishing in every part. He was born in 1627, and it is supposed that he died about 1679. VERMEER, JAN, more generally known as Vander Meer of Delft, painted partial views of cities, generally towards sunset, or approaching twilight, in which he produces a magical effect when the objects are attentively considered. His works of this class are apt to be overlooked from their unobtrusiveness. See also Imitators of Metsu and De Hooge. VERHEYEN, JAN HANDRICKS, painted interiors of towns and cities in the manner of Vander Heyde; his chief fault is the use of bad colours in his skies and foliage. His selections of views are often such as test the thorough knowledge and skill of the artist in perspective and chiaroscuro; but he accomplishes both satisfactorily. The figures, which appear to be by his own pencil, are well designed, judiciously distributed, and in good action. See Analogists of Vander Heyde. Views of towns and villages are favourite subjects of many living Dutch and Flemish painters, and are generally represented in a picturesque manner, and made more interesting by the introduction of groups of figures and animals, carefully designed and spiritedly executed. Several of both countries might be named as being very excellent in |