Nicola van Houbraken
Nicola van Houbraken (* 1668 in Messina , † 1720 in Pisa ) was an Italian painter of the late Baroque period who was of Flemish descent. He specialized in paintings that depict playful arrangements of fruits, vegetables, animals, and game indoors or in forests. He is also known under the names Nicolino van der Brach da Messina and Nicola van der Bergh .
Life
Nicola was born in Messina to a Flemish father and a local woman. His father, Ettore (or Hektor, died 1723), and his grandfather, Joannes (Giovanni) van Houbraken (Houbracken) (originally from Antwerp), were both painters of religious subjects. Ettore and his family were forced to leave Sicily for Livorno in 1674 after the Messina revolt against Spanish rule took place.
Nicola and his still lifes were very popular at the Medici court. In 1706 and 1724 he exhibited some of his works in the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno in Florence.
He died in Livorno between 1724 and 1733.
Works
He specialized in paintings that depict playful arrangements of fruits, vegetables, animals, and game indoors or in forests. He also painted garland paintings, i. H. Paintings depicting a garland of fruit or flowers around a cartouche containing a religious or secular scene. An example of this is the trompe l'oeil with a marble bas-relief , in a garland of Pentecost with flowers (Finarte SpA Old Master Paintings and 19th Century Art, auction on November 25, 2019, lot 339).
He also painted allegorical scenes with an important still life element, such as the Allegory of Winter (lot 3800A at the Kinski auction from June 18-20, 2013).
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Houbraken, Nicola van |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Nicolino van der Brach da Messina; Nicola van der Bergh |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Painter in Messina |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1668 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Messina |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1720 |
| Place of death | Pisa |