Barthel Bruyn the Elder
Encyclopedia
Bartholomäus Bruyn usually called Barthel Bruyn or Barthel Bruyn the Elder, was a German Renaissance
painter active in Cologne
. He painted altarpieces and portraits, and was Cologne's foremost portrait painter in the sixteenth century.
He was born in Wesel
or Cologne. His early works suggest that he received his artistic training in the Lower Rhine
. His earliest documented altarpiece is a Coronation of the Virgin (1515–16) commissioned by Dr. Peter von Clapis, a professor at the University of Cologne.
Bruyn’s altarpieces of the 1510s and 1520s are influenced by the style of Jan Joest
—to whom Bruyn was related—and often emulate Joest’s habit of illuminating his figures from below. By the time Bruyn painted the Essen
altarpiece (1522–25) he had combined Joest's influence with that of Joos van Cleve
. In the 1530s, he developed a more Italianate style that reflects the examples of Raphael
and Michelangelo
, which he probably knew only at second hand through the engravings of Marcantonio Raimondi
and as filtered through the works of such artists as Jan van Scorel
and Martin van Heemskerck.
Bruyn is especially noted for his portraits. He was the first important portrait painter in Cologne, and the founder of a prolific school of portraiture that was continued by his sons Arnt and Barthel Bruyn the Younger
. Bruyn's depictions of the upper-middle-class citizens of Cologne are "lively and expressive, and they show no vain flattery". His subjects are usually portrayed at half-length against a flat background; the face is the center of attention, but costume details are crisply described, and prominence is given to the hands. Bruyn did not sign his portraits, and some of them have in the past been misattributed to Hans Holbein
, whose influence is apparent in Bruyn's works after 1539.
Barthel Bruyn was a respected citizen of Cologne and active throughout his life in civic affairs. He was elected to the City Council in 1549 and 1553, and died a wealthy man. His works are in numerous public collections, including the National Gallery
, London; the Metropolitan Museum of Art
in New York; and the Louvre
in Paris.
German Renaissance
The German Renaissance, part of the Northern Renaissance, was a cultural and artistic movement that spread among German thinkers in the 15th and 16th centuries, which originated from the Italian Renaissance in Italy...
painter active in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
. He painted altarpieces and portraits, and was Cologne's foremost portrait painter in the sixteenth century.
He was born in Wesel
Wesel
Wesel is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district.-Division of the town:Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighoven, Ginderich, Feldmark,Fusternberg, Büderich, Flüren and Blumenkamp.-History:...
or Cologne. His early works suggest that he received his artistic training in the Lower Rhine
Lower Rhine
The Lower Rhine flows from Bonn, Germany, to the North Sea at Hoek van Holland, Netherlands.Almost immediately after entering the Netherlands, the Rhine splits into many branches. The main branch is called the Waal which flows from Nijmegen to meet the river Meuse; after which it is called Merwede...
. His earliest documented altarpiece is a Coronation of the Virgin (1515–16) commissioned by Dr. Peter von Clapis, a professor at the University of Cologne.
Bruyn’s altarpieces of the 1510s and 1520s are influenced by the style of Jan Joest
Jan Joest
Jan Joest, also known as Jan Joest van Kalkar or Jan Joest van Calcar, was a Dutch painter from either Kalkar or Wesel , known for his religious paintings.- Biography :...
—to whom Bruyn was related—and often emulate Joest’s habit of illuminating his figures from below. By the time Bruyn painted the Essen
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
altarpiece (1522–25) he had combined Joest's influence with that of Joos van Cleve
Joos van Cleve
Joos van Cleve was a painter active in Antwerp around 1511 to 1540. He was born around 1485 and died in between 1540 and 1541...
. In the 1530s, he developed a more Italianate style that reflects the examples of Raphael
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino , better known simply as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form and ease of composition and for its visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur...
and Michelangelo
Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art...
, which he probably knew only at second hand through the engravings of Marcantonio Raimondi
Marcantonio Raimondi
Marcantonio Raimondi, also simply Marcantonio, was an Italian engraver, known for being the first important printmaker whose body of work consists mainly of prints copying paintings. He is therefore a key figure in the rise of the reproductive print...
and as filtered through the works of such artists as Jan van Scorel
Jan van Scorel
Jan van Scorel was an influential Dutch painter credited with the introduction of High Italian Renaissance art to the Netherlands.-Biography:He was born in Schoorl, north of Alkmaar and close to Egmond Abbey...
and Martin van Heemskerck.
Bruyn is especially noted for his portraits. He was the first important portrait painter in Cologne, and the founder of a prolific school of portraiture that was continued by his sons Arnt and Barthel Bruyn the Younger
Barthel Bruyn the Younger
Bartholomäus Bruyn , usually called Barthel Bruyn the Younger to distinguish him from his father of the same name, was a German painter active in Cologne. He is noted mainly for his portraits....
. Bruyn's depictions of the upper-middle-class citizens of Cologne are "lively and expressive, and they show no vain flattery". His subjects are usually portrayed at half-length against a flat background; the face is the center of attention, but costume details are crisply described, and prominence is given to the hands. Bruyn did not sign his portraits, and some of them have in the past been misattributed to Hans Holbein
Hans Holbein the Younger
Hans Holbein the Younger was a German artist and printmaker who worked in a Northern Renaissance style. He is best known as one of the greatest portraitists of the 16th century. He also produced religious art, satire and Reformation propaganda, and made a significant contribution to the history...
, whose influence is apparent in Bruyn's works after 1539.
Barthel Bruyn was a respected citizen of Cologne and active throughout his life in civic affairs. He was elected to the City Council in 1549 and 1553, and died a wealthy man. His works are in numerous public collections, including the National Gallery
National gallery
The National Gallery is an art gallery on Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom.National Gallery may also refer to:*Armenia: National Gallery of Armenia, Yerevan*Australia:**National Gallery of Australia, Canberra...
, London; the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
in New York; and the Louvre
Louvre
The Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
in Paris.