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Jacob Campo Weyerman and his Collection of Artistsâ Biographies
An Art Critic at Work
Series: - Brill's Studies in Intellectual History, Volume: 309/43
- Brill's Studies on Art, Art History, and Intellectual History, Volume: 309/43
Author:
Weyermanâs collection of artistsâ biographies (1729) is exceptional for three reasons. Firstly, he includes a great number of painters not mentioned elsewhere. Secondly, he does not limit his selection to good artists only; he also discusses failed painters and their abortive careers. Thirdly, he writes as an art critic who does not hesitate to pass judgments, sometimes severe, on his chosen subjects.
In the process, Weyerman provides much information on the social and economic circumstances of art production. He found that a bohemian lifestyle was pernicious to a painterâs career, and argued that artists should live and think as merchants. In addition to analyzing Weyermanâs art critical terminology and his ideas on art theory, De Vries includes translations of two full chapters along with the original Dutch.
In the process, Weyerman provides much information on the social and economic circumstances of art production. He found that a bohemian lifestyle was pernicious to a painterâs career, and argued that artists should live and think as merchants. In addition to analyzing Weyermanâs art critical terminology and his ideas on art theory, De Vries includes translations of two full chapters along with the original Dutch.
Lyckle de Vries (*1937) retired from Groningen University in 2000. Apart from writing monographic studies on 17th-century Dutch artists, he analysed contemporary printed sources on Dutch art and art theory, Gerard de Lairesse (1998, 2011), and Johan van Gool (1990).
âJacob Campo Weyerman and his Collection of Artists' Biographies is a great book. Not cheap, but the first 141 pages, Part One, will serve as a new benchmark in Weyerman Studies.â
Peter Altena, in JCW 43.2 (Mededelingen van de Stichting Jacob Campo Weyerman)
"The fact remains that, whatever [Weyerman's] motivations, he demonstrated (and de Vries amply acknowledges it) that he had an art critic training, that he mastered a technical vocabulary that deserves to be studied precisely because it is specific to a reality and an era and, in short, that he was a man fully immersed in his time. Probably these findings (and the many references to the situation of the art market in the Netherlands [...] would today satisfy more those who deal with social history of art, rather than history of art in the strict sense; however, they allow us to reconsider the importance of a work that, in Schlosser's time, seemed inevitably destined for oblivion and ignominy."
Giovanni Mazzaferro, in: Letteratura artistica: Cross-cultural Studies in Art History Sources, August 2020
Peter Altena, in JCW 43.2 (Mededelingen van de Stichting Jacob Campo Weyerman)
"The fact remains that, whatever [Weyerman's] motivations, he demonstrated (and de Vries amply acknowledges it) that he had an art critic training, that he mastered a technical vocabulary that deserves to be studied precisely because it is specific to a reality and an era and, in short, that he was a man fully immersed in his time. Probably these findings (and the many references to the situation of the art market in the Netherlands [...] would today satisfy more those who deal with social history of art, rather than history of art in the strict sense; however, they allow us to reconsider the importance of a work that, in Schlosser's time, seemed inevitably destined for oblivion and ignominy."
Giovanni Mazzaferro, in: Letteratura artistica: Cross-cultural Studies in Art History Sources, August 2020
Preface
List of Illustrations
Introduction
â1âContents of the Levens-Beschryvingen
â2âWeyermanâs Opinions
1 Painted and Written Genre Scenes
â1âUrban Genre
â2âLow Life Genre
â3âItalianate Scenes
â4âLarge-Scale Genre Paintings
â5âFine Painting
2 Failed Artists
â1âPretentions of Nobility
â2âSocial Skills
â3âMarriage
â4âPainterly Studios
â5âIntemperance
â6âMental Problems
â7âArt Dealers and Their Victims
â8âCopying
â9âAntwerpâs Vrijdagsmarkt
â10âStreet Vendors and Itinerant Painters
3 Portraiture
â1âLondon
â2âThe âBywayâ of Art
â3âThe Sitterâs Identity
â4âGood Manners, Flattery and Beauty
â5âThe Netherlands
â6âOther Group Portraits
4 Art in the Public Space
â1âAltarpieces
â2âStained Glass Windows
â3âWall Tapestries
â4âPrincely Commissions
â5âGovernment Commissions
â6âMunicipal Commissions
â7âFestive Entries
â8âPrivate Commissions
5 Art Criticism
â1âChoice of Subject Matter
â2âComposition
â3âHuman Figures
â4âPictorial Space
â5âReddering
â6âColouring
â7âHandling of the Brush
â8âWelstand
6 Pliny, Durand and Weyerman
â1âWeyermanâs Ideas in Perspective
â2âBeauty
â3âGrace
â4âArt and Nature
â5âThe Purpose of Art
â6âClassification
â7âConclusion
Epilogue
Appendix 1: Biography of Willem de Fouchier
Appendix 2: Disquisition on the Art of the Ancients
Bibliography
Index
List of Illustrations
Introduction
â1âContents of the Levens-Beschryvingen
â2âWeyermanâs Opinions
1 Painted and Written Genre Scenes
â1âUrban Genre
â2âLow Life Genre
â3âItalianate Scenes
â4âLarge-Scale Genre Paintings
â5âFine Painting
2 Failed Artists
â1âPretentions of Nobility
â2âSocial Skills
â3âMarriage
â4âPainterly Studios
â5âIntemperance
â6âMental Problems
â7âArt Dealers and Their Victims
â8âCopying
â9âAntwerpâs Vrijdagsmarkt
â10âStreet Vendors and Itinerant Painters
3 Portraiture
â1âLondon
â2âThe âBywayâ of Art
â3âThe Sitterâs Identity
â4âGood Manners, Flattery and Beauty
â5âThe Netherlands
â6âOther Group Portraits
4 Art in the Public Space
â1âAltarpieces
â2âStained Glass Windows
â3âWall Tapestries
â4âPrincely Commissions
â5âGovernment Commissions
â6âMunicipal Commissions
â7âFestive Entries
â8âPrivate Commissions
5 Art Criticism
â1âChoice of Subject Matter
â2âComposition
â3âHuman Figures
â4âPictorial Space
â5âReddering
â6âColouring
â7âHandling of the Brush
â8âWelstand
6 Pliny, Durand and Weyerman
â1âWeyermanâs Ideas in Perspective
â2âBeauty
â3âGrace
â4âArt and Nature
â5âThe Purpose of Art
â6âClassification
â7âConclusion
Epilogue
Appendix 1: Biography of Willem de Fouchier
Appendix 2: Disquisition on the Art of the Ancients
Bibliography
Index
Art historians interested in early modern Dutch art theory and art criticism; historians of the social and economic circumstances of art production; literary historians interested in one of Weyermanâs lesser known literary works. Keywords: artistsâ biographies; art criticism; art theory; practical work in the painterâs studio; social status of artists; art dealers.