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Adriaen van der Werff
Adriaen van der Werff- Self portrait.jpg
Self-portrait, 1699, Rijksmuseum.
Born (1659-01-21)21 January 1659
Kralingen, Dutch Republic (modern-day Netherlands)
Died 12 November 1722(1722-11-12) (aged 63)
Rotterdam, Dutch Republic (modern-day Netherlands)
Nationality Dutch
Known for Painting
Movement Baroque
In this article, the family name is van der Werff, not Werff.

Adriaen van der Werff (born January 21, 1659 – died November 12, 1722) was a famous Dutch painter. He was known for his beautiful portraits. He also painted scenes from myths and religious stories. His younger brother, Pieter van der Werff, learned to paint from him. Pieter also helped Adriaen with his artworks.

Life of a Famous Painter

Adriaen started painting lessons when he was just ten years old. Two years later, he moved in with another artist, Eglon van der Neer. Adriaen learned how to paint clothes and fabrics very well from him.

When he was seventeen, Adriaen opened his own art studio in Rotterdam. Later, he became the head of the local painters' group, called the Guild of Saint Luke.

In 1696, a very important ruler named Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine visited Adriaen. The Elector and his wife, Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, ordered two paintings. These paintings were sent to Anna Maria Luisa's father in Florence, Italy. For many years after this, Van der Werff often traveled between Düsseldorf and his home in Rotterdam.

Becoming a Court Painter

In 1703, Adriaen became the official painter for the Elector's court. This was a very important job. He was even made a knight! He took over this role after his former teacher, Van der Neer, passed away.

In 1704, Adriaen painted a portrait of a famous military leader, Prince John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough. The next year, he painted Gian Gastone de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany.

Adriaen lost his job in 1716 when the Elector died. The new ruler, Charles III Philip, Elector Palatine, did not have much money for art. The Elector Johann Wilhelm had owned 34 of Van der Werff's paintings. He loved them so much that he kept them in a special room. He even refused to sell them to other important people.

His Reputation and Legacy

Adriaen van der Werff became one of the most praised Dutch painters of his time. He was famous all over Europe and earned a lot of money. A writer named Arnold Houbraken even called him the greatest Dutch painter in 1718. Many people agreed with this for a long time.

However, in the 1800s, some people started to think his art was not as good. They felt he had changed too much from the traditional Dutch style. During the Victorian Age, many of his paintings were even stored away in museum basements.

Van der Werff also worked as an architect in Rotterdam. He designed several houses there. His only daughter married another painter, Adriaen Brouwer.

Today, you can see Adriaen van der Werff's paintings in many famous museums. Some of his art is at the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands. You can also find his works at the Alte Pinakothek Museum in Germany. The Uffizi Gallery in Italy and the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam also display his art. Famous collectors like King Frederick the Great of Prussia and King Louis XVI of France also bought his paintings.

Works

Here are some of the artworks by Adriaen van der Werff:

  • Hedwig Elisabeth (1673)
  • Family Portrait (1680-1689)
  • Children Playing Before a Hercules Group (1687)
  • Shepherd and Shepherdess (1689)
  • Flora with Putti Strewing Flowers (1696)
  • Diogenes (1699)
  • Sarah Presenting Hagar to Abraham (1699)
  • Maria Anna Luisa (1700)
  • Portrait of Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatinate (1700)
  • Portrait of John Churchill Marlborough (1701)
  • Adam and Eve (c. 1711)
  • Homage to the Arts (1713)
  • Mary with the Christ-child and John the Baptist (1715)
  • The Holy Family and Infant Saint John the Baptist (1715)
  • The Judgement of Paris (1716)
  • The Annunciation (1718)
  • Mucius Scaevola, a drawing
  • Noli me tangere (1719)
  • Nymphes dasant (1720)
  • Portrait of Simon Martin Haake
  • Portrait of Mary II of England
  • Portrait of Friedrich von Schomberg
  • Portrait of William II of England
  • The Visitation, a drawing

Gallery

  • John Churchill Marlborough porträtterad av Adriaen van der Werff (1659-1722)

    Portrait of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (1650–1722) (1704, Uffizi)

  • Avd Werff

    The Entombment (1703, National Museum, Wrocław)

  • Adriaen van der Werff noli me tangere

    Noli me tangere (1719)

  • Adriaen van der Werff 021

    Diogenes mit der Laterne auf dem Markte (1699, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Adriaen van der Werff para niños

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