INTERIORS OF CHURCHES.

AVEMAN, WOLFF, was a scholar of Steenwyck, and painted interiors of churches and other buildings in the manner of his master. He died in 1620.

BABEUR, THEODORE, was a scholar of Peter Neefs the Elder, and painted interiors of churches in the manner of that master. He was born in 1570, and died in 1624.

BASSEN, B. VAN, flourished about the middle of the seventeenth century. His subjects are interiors of churches and other public buildings, which are executed with perspective truth and lively colour, and neatly penciled. The figures are by other artists of repute; but there is an apparent voidness in some of his interiors from want of objects to

relieve the architecture.

BERKHEYDE, or BERKHEYDEN, GERARD, whose principal works are exterior views of the great church at Haerlem, and of the Town Halls in several other places, occasionally painted interiors of Dutch Protestant churches, which he represented during the time of religious service. The figures, forming the congregation, are by his brother, Job. Pictures treated in this manner by the brothers must have been very few, as it is a rare occurrence to meet with one. See Analogists of Vander Heyde.

BLICKE, DANIEL VAN, painted in the manner of Van Vliet. He lived in 1656.

BRONKHORST, PETER VAN, painted interiors of churches and temples, which he enlivened with subjects from history in small figures. His manner partakes both of Steenwyck's and Neefs'. He was born at Delft in 1588, and died in 1661.

DALENS, or DELEN, THEODORE, or DIRCK, VAN, painted churches, temples, palaces, and other public buildings; they are frequently enlivened with figures by Van Herp, by which they may be distinguished. He was born about 1635 the time of his death is not noted.

FONTAINE, PIERRE LA, born at Courtrai in 1758, painted interiors of churches in the manner of Peter Neefs and Steenwyck. His imitations of those masters were so exact that they passed with many for their works. He died at Paris in 1835. This La Fontaine was an eminent picture dealer, and brought many of a high class to England, which he sold very profitably.

GHERING, JAN, a Flemish painter of architecture, flourished from the middle until towards the latter part of the seventeenth century. This is conjectured from finding his handsome façades of mansions, vestibules, terraces, and richly decorated saloons, forming auxiliaries to the landscapes and conversation parties of other eminent artists who lived during that time. Gonzales Coques was one that availed himself of the talents of Ghering to embellish his masterly compositions, by providing a scene suited to an assemblage of persons of elevated rank in society. He also painted perspective views and interiors of churches; the latter are of a grand character. His works are rare in England, and are seldom seen but in conjunction with those of other masters.

HOECKGEEST, or HOGEEST, GIOVACHIMO, or JOACHIM, painted interiors of churches in the style of Emanuel de Wit. He is known in England by his smaller pictures, which are not his best; there are two fine specimens in the Museum at the Hague, on one is the date 1651. He signed his pictures with a G for Giovachimo, which has caused some writers to mistake the master.

JUVENEL, PAUL, a scholar of Adam Elsheimer, painted interiors of churches, and was a skilful copyist of the older German and Flemish masters, particularly of the works of Albert Durer. He was born in 1579, and died in 1643.

NEEFS, PETER, the Elder, was born in 1570, and was a scholar of Steenwyck the Elder. He is reckoned the best of the Flemish painters in representations of the interiors of churches, for the accuracy of his perspective delineation, his delicate penciling, the sweetness of his colouring, and the

wonderful effect produced in a confined space. The figures in his pictures are by some of the most eminent artists of the time. It is supposed that he died about 1650.

NEEFS, PETER, the Younger, was the son and scholar of the preceding, and was born at Antwerp about 1600. He painted similar subjects to those of his father, but they are not equal in the correctness of the perspective or the neatness of the finishing; they have, however, sufficient merit to entitle them to a place in good collections. He was living in 1660, as that date appears on one of his pictures.

NIKKELEN, J. (JAN or ISAAC) VAN, painted interiors of churches in the manner of Van Vliet. They are generally of small dimensions, but have a good effect of chiaroscuro. He was born at Haerlem in 1649, and died in 1716.

ORME, or DE L'ORME, A., painted interiors of churches in Holland in a manner peculiar to himself. They are in a very light tone of colour, and the sun's rays are introduced in flickering streams from the windows, which has a curious effect; the penciling is remarkably neat. There is no account of this artist, but as the churches are Dutch, and the figures by eminent Dutch painters, it may be inferred that, if not a native, he was long resident in Holland.

RADEMACKER, GERARD, among other architectural designs, painted the interior of Saint Peter's church, at Rome, with great accuracy. He was the elder brother of Abraham Rademacker, who designed the numerous views in Holland. Gerard was born at Amsterdam in 1672, and died there in 1711.

RUISDAEL, JACOB. It may seem strange to meet with the name of this great landscape painter among painters of interiors of churches; but the fact that he did execute such subjects is established by the picture in the Marquis of Bute's Collection of the interior of the new church, as it was called, at Amsterdam, with figures by Wouwerman; and it may be conjectured that he painted others, from the number of drawings of architectural subjects by him which occasionally appear, representing interiors of abbeys in ruins, ancient chateaux, chapels, and sepulchral monuments; and also views in cities.

SAENREDAM, PIETER, born about 1597, painted exteriors of public buildings and interiors of churches in a particularly

neat manner. His perspective is true without being striking at first view, his penciling remarkably delicate, and his colouring chaste and unobtrusive. Some of his pictures have numerous figures, which appear to be by his own hand. He was the son of Jan Saenredam, the engraver, and was born in 1597, and died in 1666.

STEEN, SUSANNA VAN. A picture has been discovered bearing this name, and dated 1648. It represents the interior of a prison, with the circumstances attending the liberation of Paul and Silas. It has all the characteristics of Henry Steenwyck in the style of the architecture and accuracy of perspective. The figures in the front-ground are nearly a foot in height, and are admirable in character and expression. If the name be that of the true painter, there must be other works with the same signature in existence. It is with a view to their discovery that this is noticed.

STEENWYCK, HENRY, the Elder, painted interiors of churches by daylight and torchlight, in both of which he is excellent. He is neat and accurate in his designs, highly laboured in the execution, representing minutely the various marbles in columns, and other ornaments, in churches and palaces. There is a fine effect of chiaroscuro in his torchlight scenes. The figures are generally by his friend, Old Franck. He was born at Steenwyck in 1550: the date of his death is uncertain.

STEENWYCK, HENRY, the Younger, painted similar subjects to those by his father, but on a larger scale. His pictures may be also distinguished from his father's by having the figures by John Breughel, Van Thulden, Gonzales Coques, and others. He was born at Antwerp in 1589; it is not said when he died, but the latest date, on a known picture by him, is 1642.

STREEK, HENRI VAN, was a scholar of Emanuel de Wit. His pictures represent interiors of churches and palaces, ornamented with figures by other artists. He was master of perspective, and designed with accuracy and precision. He was born at Amsterdam in 1659, and died in 1713.

VANVITELLI, GASPAR, called dagli Occhiali, from his constantly wearing spectacles, painted architectural and perspective views at Rome, on a scale larger than was usual with Dutch painters. His delineations are correct, and his

colouring natural and agreeable; the figures are introduced with propriety, and have a good effect. His family name was Witel, but having resided long at Rome he Italianized it into Vanvitelli. He was born at Utrecht in 1647, but it is not said by whom he was instructed; he was the father of the celebrated Luigi Vanvitelli, the architect. He died at Rome in 1736.

VLIET, HENRI VAN, born at Delft in 1608, painted interiors of churches in the style of Emanuel de Wit; occasionally they are represented by torch-light, but the greater number are by day-light, and are very little inferior to his contemporary De Wit. It is said that he died in 1646, but this, as well as the date of his birth, is uncertain.

VRIES, JAN FREDEMAN DE, flourished in the middle of the sixteenth century, as an architectural designer and painter of perspective views. Towards the latter part of his life he was much employed in engraving similar subjects.

He died in 1588.

VRIES, ADRIAN DE, was probably a relative of the preceding, as he painted and engraved architectural subjects, which he signed P. A. Fred. Vris. His manner of painting interiors resembles that of B. van Bassen. It is also said that he was a modeller and sculptor of small figures, but there is no authentic account of him.

WILLINGEN, VANDER, painted interiors of churches, (according to some of the foreign guides and old catalogues ;) he lived about the same time as Peter Vander Willingen, the painter of still life; but there is nothing recorded to induce the supposition that they are identical.

WIT, or WITTE, EMANUEL DE, ranks next to Steenwyck and Neefs as a painter of interiors of churches; some, however, award him the preference for the boldness and breadth of his style. He generally chose interiors of the massive and solid kind with grand features in columns and sculptured monuments, favourable to the display of light and shadow, and brought the beams of sunshine through the lateral windows striking the principal objects, (among which are two, or more, branched brass chandeliers,) and by refraction illumining the more retired; so that his pictures, in regard to chiaroscuro, have much the effect of Rembrandt's interiors. There is generally a goodly congregation as

R