Abraham Willemsens
c. 1605-1610 - 1672
Flemish painter
This painter was only recently discovered in the 1990s after the finding of a painting that included his full signature. Since then, many works of his have been found.
(A Sleeping Gardener with a Heap of Vegetables - find my edit on RedBubble.)
Many details of his life remain unknown, but he was recorded in the Antwerp Guild of St. Luke as a pupil of Gilliam Antonissens (Guillaume Anthoni) who was a French painter.
(A Woman and a Girl Tending Poultry - find my edit on RedBubble.)
Abraham is believed to have run a workshop, from where he exported many works - many of which are now found in Spain. Eventually, he had two apprentices before dying in 1672 in Antwerp.
(A Family Resting Before a House - find my edit on RedBubble.)
It is suggested that Willemsens was influenced by the Le Nain brothers, who were in Paris when Abraham was. They painted peasant scenes - something which Willemsens became known for. He also produced copies of Rubens' oil sketches.
(A Shepherd Family Resting by Classical Ruins - find my edit on RedBubble.)
In addition to rural scenes, Abraham also did a number of religious scenes, often painted on copper.
(Landscape with Woman Selling Vegetables to a Hunter - find my edit on RedBubble.)
(Peasants in a Barn - find my edit on RedBubble.)
I like Abraham Willemsens' work because of his attention to detail to family and rural life - making it an ideal addition to my growing Freya Domestica collection. I love the interaction between characters even including a woman nursing her infant in this next painting.
(The Meal at the Farm - find my edit on RedBubble.)
(Animated Courtyard - find my edit on RedBubble.)
Life details obtained from his Wikipedia page.
Images are in the public domain - 70 or more years after the artist's death.
Previous issues of Classical Art
Lori Svensen
author/designer at A'mara Books
photographer/graphic artist for Viking Visual
also at Freya Domestica and Freya's Moods
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