Steven van der Meulen facts for kids
Steven van der Meulen was a talented artist from a region called Flanders (which is now part of Belgium). He was born in Antwerp and later became famous in England during the early years of Queen Elizabeth I's rule. He was one of many Flemish artists who worked for the English royal family. He passed away in London on October 24, 1563.
About His Life
We don't know much about Steven van der Meulen's early life. His father was Rinnold van der Meulen. Steven likely grew up in Antwerp, where he learned to paint from Willem van Cleve the Younger in 1543. He became a member of the Guild of St Luke (a group for artists) in 1552.
Steven moved to London by September 1560. He became a legal resident of England on February 4, 1562. This meant he had official permission to live and work there.
In 1561, an English merchant named John Dymocke traveled to Sweden. He was helping with talks about Queen Elizabeth marrying King Erik XIV. Dymocke brought a Dutch painter, known as 'Master Staffan,' to paint the King's portrait. Most experts believe this painter was Steven van der Meulen. A portrait of Erik XIV at Gripsholm Castle in Sweden is thought to be the one van der Meulen painted.
Steven van der Meulen died during a serious outbreak of the plague in London. He was buried on October 24, 1563, at St Andrew Undershaft church.
His Artworks
For many years, art experts believed Steven van der Meulen painted several important works. However, after it was discovered that he died in 1563, some of these paintings are now being looked at again.
One group of paintings once thought to be his are portraits of Queen Elizabeth I from the mid-1560s. These paintings are very detailed and were likely made after Queen Elizabeth ordered that only good, flattering pictures of her should be made. One large portrait of Elizabeth, about 2 meters (6.5 feet) tall, was sold for a lot of money in 2007. It was thought to be the earliest full-length portrait of the Queen and was believed to be by van der Meulen.
Who Was the Painter "Steven"?
The discovery of Steven van der Meulen's death in 1563 led to new questions. For a long time, people thought he was the "famous painter Steven" mentioned in a list of paintings from 1590, owned by John Lumley, 1st Baron Lumley. They also thought he was "Master Staffan" who went to Sweden.
Because van der Meulen died in 1563, some experts wondered if another artist named Steven van Herwijck might have been the "famous painter Steven." This idea was accepted by some museums for a while.
However, other experts, like Edward Town, disagree. He points out that what we know about Steven van der Meulen's life after the trip to Sweden fits better with him being "Master Staffan."
Scientists used a method called dendrochronology (which dates wood by looking at its tree rings) to study a portrait of John Lumley. This study showed the painting was made in the 1570s or 1580s. This is after both van der Meulen and van Herwijck had died. So, the artist who painted that portrait is still a mystery.
In 2020, Edward Town suggested that the Hampden portrait of Elizabeth I (which was once thought to be by van der Meulen) was actually painted by George Gower. George Gower was Queen Elizabeth's official royal painter, known as her Serjeant painter.
