Matthijs Bril Facts for Kids

Landscape, attributed to Matthijs Bril

Matthijs Bril, also known as Matthijs Bril the Younger, was a talented artist from Flanders (a region in what is now Belgium). He was born in 1550 and passed away on June 8, 1583. Matthijs was known for painting and drawing beautiful landscapes. He spent most of his career in Rome, Italy. His drawings of ancient Roman places were very important for a type of art called topographical landscape art, which shows real places accurately. He also painted "capricci," which are imaginary scenes often featuring old ruins on hills. Matthijs died quite young, and his younger brother, Paul Bril, who had joined him in Rome, took over his art projects.

The Early Life of Matthijs Bril
Working in Rome
Matthijs Bril's Art Style
Images for kids
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The Early Life of Matthijs Bril

Matthijs Bril was born in Antwerp, a city in present-day Belgium. His father, Matthijs Bril the Elder, was also a painter. Matthijs and his younger brother, Paul Bril, probably learned how to paint from their father in Antwerp. Matthijs moved to Rome, Italy, likely around 1575.

Working in Rome

In Rome, Matthijs worked on several frescoes, which are paintings done on wet plaster. Some of his famous works were in the Vatican Palace. These included "Views of Rome with the Translation of the Remains of St. Gregory Nazianzus." He painted this soon after the saint's remains were moved in June 1580. His younger brother Paul joined him in Rome around or after 1582.

Matthijs Bril's second big project in Rome was in the Tower of the Winds. This building in the Vatican Palace was built between 1578 and 1580. It was designed by the architect Ottaviano Mascherino from Bologna. The tower was an astronomical observatory, meaning it was used to study the stars and planets. Its purpose was to help with the Gregorian Calendar Reform, which was put into place by Pope Gregory XIII.

With help from his brother Paul, Matthijs Bril decorated four rooms in the tower. He painted scenes from the Bible within landscape borders. He also decorated two other rooms with real views of Rome and imaginary scenes called vedute. These were painted to look like they were part of the room's architecture. Matthijs also painted landscapes in two rooms of the Palazzo Orsini in Monterotondo, which is north of Rome. He signed these paintings with small glasses, as the Flemish word 'bril' means 'glasses.'

Matthijs died in Rome in 1583. His brother Paul then continued his work and finished many of Matthijs's art projects.

Matthijs Bril's Art Style

Matthijs Bril's art is mostly known today through his frescoes and drawings. He was a specialist in painting landscapes. He created two main types of landscapes:

Landscapes that showed real places with great detail.
Imaginary landscapes that came from his own mind.

Topographical Landscapes

Matthijs helped develop a type of painting called topographical painting. This style combines careful attention to small details with a way of showing how grand and large buildings are. He achieved this by using a lower viewpoint, making the viewer feel like they are looking up at the buildings. This also made the buildings seem to stretch far into the distance.

Imaginary Landscapes

His imaginary landscapes, which did not show real places, were more typical of the Mannerist art style. This style focused on observing nature closely and using strong contrasts between light and dark. His imaginary paintings often used colors like strong blues and greens. The way he used his brush made the paintings look almost like impressions rather than perfectly smooth scenes. These imaginary landscapes inspired his brother Paul and other artists. Today, we know about these paintings through a series of prints made by the Dutch engraver Simon Frisius. These prints were published in 1611 and again in 1613–14 in two books called Topographia Variarum Regionum.

Drawings and Collaborations

Matthijs was a very active draughtsman, meaning he made many drawings. His drawings are a key source of information about his work. Many of his drawings were kept by his brother Paul and were copied by other artists of that time, such as Jan Brueghel the Elder. Matthijs is also known to have worked with Italian painters like Antonio Tempesta, Niccolo Circignani, and Matteo da Siena on different art projects.