Christian Philipp Bentum

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Christian Philipp Bentum (also Christian Philipp van Bentum ; Philipp Christian Bentum ; last name also Benthum , Bendum , Benton , Bendomp , Penthum ; Czech Filip Kristián Bentum ; * around 1690 probably in Leiden ; † after 1757 probably in Silesia ), was a Dutch Baroque painter who worked in Bohemia from 1712 and in Silesia from around 1731/32.

Although it is still unknown in its homeland, it was sometimes referred to as "pictor Hollandicus" or "Hollmandicus" because of its origin. He mostly signed his paintings with “PC de Bentum”. He created numerous large-format oil paintings and frescoes in the style of Tenebrism and portraits of Bohemian and Silesian nobles as well as of Habsburg rulers.

Life

Bentum's ceiling painting in the Princely Hall of the Leubus Monastery

Christian Philipp Bentum, whose life dates are not known, was a son of the Dutch painter Justus van Bentum (1670–1727). From Königsberg , where his father ran an antiques trade in addition to painting, he is said to have gone to Prague, where it is documented around 1712. He soon became a pupil of the baroque painter Peter Johann Brandl , with whom he painted portraits of the Kokořovec von Kokořov family in the West Bohemian Luditz Castle in 1713 . The first picture signed by him is known in 1715. It is a portrait of Eleanor Kokořovec von Kokořov. Since he belonged to the painters' guild of Prague's old town in 1716 , he presumably worked independently from that point on. From 1715 Brandl and Bentum probably created altar paintings together in Manětín in West Bohemia . Even so, Prague is assumed to be his permanent residence for these years; in any case, he is recorded there on May 11, 1719 as best man. Presumably afterwards he stayed in Vienna for a while. Later he is said to have undertaken a study trip to Italy, which also took him to Rome. It is not known when he returned to Bohemia. From 1725 to 1731 he worked as a portraitist for the noble families Lažanský von Buggau ( Lažanští z Bukové ) in Manětín, Kolowrat in Reichenau in East Bohemia and Czernin in Petrohrad in West Bohemia .

Probably in 1731/32 Bentum left Prague for Silesia, where his master Brandl was also executing orders for the Grüssau monastery around this time . Around 1734 Bentum set up a workshop in Breslau, which he ran for almost twenty years. In 1735 Bentum's daughter Anna Theresia was born in Breslau. The baptism entry of March 2nd shows that he is referred to as “Mahlern here” and that he was married to a Margaretha. Godparents were Theresia Countess von Schaffgotsch , wife of the Governor of Silesia, Friederike von Proskau and a Count Kolowrat. Since they are all high-ranking people in Wroclaw society, it can be assumed that Bentum had already achieved a high reputation in his new place of work by this time.

During his Silesian creative period Bentum created not only portraits but also extensive painting cycles and altarpieces for monasteries and churches. In 1735 he painted four portraits of the Habsburgs Charles VI for the von Strachwitz family . , his wife Elisabeth Christine and their daughters Archduchesses Maria Theresia and Maria Anna . From 1734 to 1745 he worked for the Cistercian monastery Leubus , where well-known artists were employed, including the painter Felix Anton Scheffler , the sculptor Franz Joseph Mangoldt and the plasterer Ignatius Albrecht Provisore. On behalf of and as a donation from Abbot Konstantin Beyer, he painted the ceiling frescoes for the Princely Hall from 1734–1738 with the glorification of the victorious Catholic faith and the glory of the Habsburgs and the glorification of the Piast dynasty . The library room is completely covered with paintings by Bentum. Out of gratitude to the Leubus Monastery, in 1745 he donated the altar painting “Martyrdom of St. Valentine” for the local Nepomuk Chapel for the Leubus parish church of St. Valentin. John of Nepomuk ”and the painting“ Confession of the Bohemian Queen ”, which are no longer available. Also out of gratitude for Leubus patronage, Franz Joseph Mangoldt created the sculptural design of the chapel free of charge.

In 1746/47 Bentum was active in Breslau, where he created 15 large oil paintings for the Premonstratensian Church of St. Vincent with themes from the life of St. Vincent, which were destroyed at the end of the 19th century. In 1747/48 and again in 1754 he worked for the Trebnitz Monastery , for which he painted the following paintings, among others: High altar painting Maria Himmelfahrt , Death of St. Hedwig , Abbess Gertrud and St. Benedict .

For the Wrocław Cathedral he painted about 1750, the altarpiece of St. Maria Magdalena , St. Peter and the head of John the Baptist on the bowl ( lost after 1945 ). It is not known when he left Wroclaw. In the wedding entry of his second-born daughter Sophie Johanna, who married the tailor Nikolaus Hann on April 21, 1755 in the Vinzenzkirche in Breslau, the following information is given about the bride's father: "Noble: and artful Mr. Philippi Bentum's Mahlers in Dräsden". Since no works by him are known in Dresden, it can be assumed that his style was not in demand there. Afterwards he is said to have returned to Prague and died there after 1757. The previous assumption that he died in Silesia is rejected by more recent research. It is stated that a note dated March 6, 1757 was found in the Czernin family archive in Neuhaus Castle in South Bohemia , which notes that a messenger was sent from Manětín to Prague to fetch the painter Bentum ( Vendum ). He is believed to have painted his last picture in Manětín. It is the portrait of his sponsor Maria Gabriela Lažanský.

In contrast to this, it is stated in Dehio-Silesia (p. 567) that Bentum had the high altar painting Miraculous Healing of the Son of the Pagan Kraton by St. Valentine in 1756 for the Leubus parish church of St. Valentin . Valentine painted. That would mean that Bentum returned to Silesia again from Dresden and could only have moved to Prague after 1756 (if at all). In the recent literature cited, however, the date of origin of the Leubus high altar painting is given as 1745. The altar painting cannot have been donated by Abbot Wilhelm Steiner ( as stated in both sources ) in either 1745 or 1756 . He did not officiate until 1757. Since the note found does not necessarily prove Bentum's stay in Prague, he may well have died in Silesia, as stated in older literature.

Further works in Silesia (selection)

  • Himmelwitz Monastery , former monastery church: Altar painting
  • Neisse , former Kreuzherrenkirche St. Petrus and Paulus: high altar painting of the church patrons (1735)
  • Seitsch , parish church St. Martin : main altar painting dream of St. Martin
  • Alt Guhrau , branch church St. Jakobus d. Ä .: Painting of the wooden ceiling of the nave with the battle of Clavijo , Holy Trinity , church fathers and angels making music (after 1737)
  • Portraits of Habsburg rulers and Silesian nobles can be found in:

Works in Bohemia (selection)

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Philipp Christian to Dehio Silesia.
  2. ↑ The information about the periods of the trip to Vienna and the stay in Rome are discussed differently in the sources. Since no works by him are known in 1720/24, it is likely that the trip to Italy took place during this period.
  3. ↑ According to Dehio-Schlesien, p. 1138, he painted the side altar paintings of Sts in 1724 for the Trinity Church in Breslau. John of God and Charles Borromeo . If this year is documented, it would mean that he was active in Silesia before 1731/32 and had professional contacts there.
  4. ↑ They were stolen from the chapel in 1979 and have not yet been found. See Beata Lejmann, p. 215.
  5. ↑ Beata Lejman: Philip Christian Bentum malarz Śląskiego baroku.
  6. ^ Beata Leyman: Philip Christian Bentum malarz śląskiego baroku. P. 206.
  7. ↑ List of Abbots Leubus
personal data
SURNAME Bentum, Christian Philipp
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Bentum, Christian Philipp van; Bentum Philipp Christian; Bentum, Filip Kristián (Czech)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Dutch baroque painter and fresco artist
DATE OF BIRTH around 1690
PLACE OF BIRTH uncertain: suffering
DATE OF DEATH after 1757
Place of death uncertain: Silesia