Bartholomeus Breenbergh (before 13 November 1598 – after 3 October 1657) was a Dutch Golden Age

Dutch Golden Age

The Golden Age was a period in Dutch history, roughly spanning the 17th century, in which Dutch trade, science, military and art were among the most acclaimed in the world. The first half is characterised by the Eighty Years' War till 1648...

 painter of Italianate landscapes.

Biography

Little is known of his early life. In his famous three volume Schouburg, Arnold Houbraken

Arnold Houbraken

Arnold Houbraken was a Dutch painter and writer from Dordrecht, now remembered mainly as a biographer of artists from the Dutch Golden Age. He had ten children. His son Jacobus Houbraken was an engraver of portraits and book illustrations, including books by his father...

 mentioned him in his first volume with an entreaty to readers to write him with more news of Breenberg's biography. He had been told that Breenberg was born in Utrecht and had been a master of Cornelis van Poelenburgh, which he knew was impossible from the facts that he already had, namely "the birth of Poelenburg in 1586 and the death of Breenberg in 1660." Houbraken never received the information he requested, though he mentioned Breenberg again in his second volume in a list of 59 competent painters who were contemporaries of Abraham Bloemaert

Abraham Bloemaert

Abraham Bloemaert was a Dutch painter and printmaker in etching and engraving. He was one of the "Haarlem Mannerists" from about 1585, but in the new century altered his style to fit new Baroque trends...

 and Paulus Potter

Paulus Potter

Paulus Potter was a Dutch painter, specialized in animals in landscapes, usually with a low point of view. Before Potter died of tuberculosis, 28-years old, he succeeded in producing about a hundred paintings, working continuously.-Life:Few details are known of Potter's life...

.

Äccording to the RKD, Breenberg was born in Deventer

Deventer

Deventer is a municipality and city in the Salland region of the Dutch province of Overijssel. Deventer is largely situated on the east bank of the river IJssel, but also has a small part of its territory on the west bank. In 2005 the municipality of Bathmen Deventer is a municipality and city in...

 but moved away after the death of his father in 1607 with the rest of his family, probably to Hoorn

Hoorn

-Cities :* Purmerend * Enkhuizen * Alkmaar * Amsterdam * Lelystad * Den Helder * Leeuwarden -Towns :* Edam...

 where he was a contemporary of Jacques Waben

Jacques Waben

Jacques Waben , was a Dutch Golden Age portrait painter.-Biography:According to Houbraken he was a good portrait and history painter, who painted both small and large pieces. Houbraken admired the history of Joseph in 4 panels that hung in the Proveniers Hof in Hoorn when he was writing...

 and where he possibly received his first training, though his first teacher is now supposed to be "one of those many forgotten Amsterdam landscape painters of the 1610s". His registered teachers are Pieter Lastman

Pieter Lastman

Pieter Lastman was a Dutch painter . Lastman is considered important because of his work as a painter of history pieces and because his pupils included Rembrandt and Jan Lievens...

 and Jacob Symonsz Pynas. Breenbergh is first registered as a painter on a archival record in 1619 in Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...

, though he possibly was established there earlier, and left for Rome in the same year. There he lived and worked with the Flemish painter Frans van de Kasteele and was heavily influenced by another Fleming, the landscape

Landscape art

Landscape art is a term that covers the depiction of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, and forests, and especially art where the main subject is a wide view, with its elements arranged into a coherent composition. In other works landscape backgrounds for figures can still...

 painter Paul Bril. From 1623, however, he came completely under the spell of Italian landscapes by the somewhat older Cornelis van Poelenburgh—indeed, the works of Breenbergh and van Poelenburgh are sometimes very difficult of tell apart. He was also influenced by Nicolaes Moeyaert. Breenbergh in his turn influenced the French painter Claude Lorrain

Claude Lorrain

Claude Lorrain, , traditionally just Claude in English Claude Lorrain, , traditionally just Claude in English (also Claude Gellée, his real name, or in French Claude Gellée, , dit le Lorrain) Claude Lorrain, , traditionally just Claude in English (also Claude Gellée, his real name, or in French...

. Breenbergh was one of the founders of the Bentvueghels

Bentvueghels

The Bentvueghels were a society of mostly Dutch and Flemish artists active in Rome from about 1620 to 1720. They are also known as the Schildersbent .-Activities:...

, where he was nicknamed "het fret" (the ferret).

In 1630 Breenbergh returned to Amsterdam, where he married in 1633 and received a yearly wage of 60 pounds from the court of Charles I of England

Charles I of England

Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...

. He remained in Amsterdam until his death, where he made popular paintings and etchings of Italian buildings. There he was influenced by the pre-Rembrandtists such as Pieter Lastman

Pieter Lastman

Pieter Lastman was a Dutch painter . Lastman is considered important because of his work as a painter of history pieces and because his pupils included Rembrandt and Jan Lievens...

 and Nicolaes Moeyaert, but he placed their Biblical and mythological scenes in Italian landscapes. His only registered pupil is Jan de Bisschop

Jan de Bisschop

Jan de Bisschop, also known as Johannes Episcopius , was a lawyer, who became a Dutch Golden Age painter and engraver.-Biography:...

, who was his pupil in the 1640s until 1648. He influenced the painters Jan Linsen

Jan Linsen

Jan Linsen was a Dutch painter of mythological and historical themes.Jan Linsen travelled in France and Italy on a Grand Tour, and in Rome he became a member of the painters' circle known as the Bentvueghels, with the nickname Hermafrodito. While on a ship bound homewards from Italy, he was...

, Scipione Compagno

Scipione Compagno

Scipione Compagno, an Italian painter, was born at Naples about 1624, and was still living in 1680. He was a pupil of A. Falcone and of Salvator Rosa, and his drawings are held in esteem. The Belvedere, Vienna, contains two works by him, the 'Eruption of Vesuvius' and the 'Beheading of St....

, Laurens Barata, Charles Cornelisz. de Hooch

Charles Cornelisz. de Hooch

Charles Cornelisz. de Hooch , was a Dutch Golden Age landscape painter.-Biography:According to Houbraken he was listed in Samuel Ampzing's lof der Haerlem as a painter of ruins, along with Pieter Molyn, Jacob Pinas and Salomon de Bray, as Karel de Hooge, born in 1597.According to the RKD his...

, Pieter Anthonisz. van Groenewegen

Pieter Anthonisz. van Groenewegen

Pieter Anthonisz. van Groenewegen was a Dutch Golden Age landscape painter.Groenewegen, who was born in Delft, primarily painted landscapes. He traveled to Italy and between ca. 1615-1623 he lived on Via Bocca de Leone in Rome, where he became a member of the Bentvueghels with the nickname "Leeuw"...

, Francois van Knibbergen, and Catharina van Knibbergen.