Gerrit van Uylenburgh
Encyclopedia
Gerrit van Uylenburgh or Gerrit Uylenburgh, was a Dutch Golden Age
painter and art-dealer. He was the eldest son of Hendrick van Uylenburgh
and took over the family art-dealing business after Hendrick's death and burial in the Westerkerk
church in 1661. This business, then in a house on Lauriergracht, formerly owned by Govaert Flinck, played a key role in the art world of the Dutch Golden Age
.
, Jurriaen Ovens and Gerard de Lairesse
. He expanded the business internationally and sold many Italian masters and classical sculptures alongside Dutch art. The English painter Peter Lely
and king John II Casimir of Poland
both had Gerrit as their agent. In 1660 he advised the Cornelis
and his younger brother Andries de Graeff
, one of the heads of the States-General of the Netherlands
on their lavish Dutch Gift
to Charles II of England
.
In 1671 he organised the auction of Gerrit Reynst
's collection and offered thirteen paintings and some sculptures from among those which had not sold at the auction to Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg
. However, on Fromantiou's advice, Frederick accused them of being counterfeits and sent them back. http://books.google.com/books?id=Ev1xavyduGYC&pg=PA207&lpg=PA207&dq=%22hendrick+fromantiou%22&source=web&ots=KHfE7DUVvj&sig=7N55Uhv_T3cWyf-9iPpPkJ9QfHk Van Uylenburg then organized a counter-assessment, asking a total of 35 painters to pronounce on their authenticity, including Jan Lievens
, Melchior de Hondecoeter, Gerbrand van den Eeckhout
and Johannes Vermeer
.
In 1675 van Uylenburgh hit financial problems, as a result of the war with France
, falling art prices, and possibly due to the damage to his reputation from the Brandenburg affair. His business went bankrupt and Gerrit moved to London, where Lely exerted his influence at court and secured him the post of Surveyor of the King’s Pictures. He died in 1679.
In 2006 the Rembrandt House Museum
presented an exhibition about Hendrick and Gerrit. The exhibition was also shown at the Dulwich Picture Gallery
in London
.
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 and art-dealer. He was the eldest son of Hendrick van Uylenburgh
Hendrick van Uylenburgh
Hendrick van Uylenburgh was an influential Dutch Golden Age art dealer who helped launch the careers of Rembrandt, Govert Flinck, Ferdinand Bol and other painters....
and took over the family art-dealing business after Hendrick's death and burial in the Westerkerk
Westerkerk
The Westerkerk is a church of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands denomination in Amsterdam, built in 1620-1631 after a design by Hendrick de Keyser. It is next to Amsterdam's Jordaan district, on the bank of the Prinsengracht canal....
church in 1661. This business, then in a house on Lauriergracht, formerly owned by Govaert Flinck, played a key role in the art world of the 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...
.
Life
According to Arnold Houbraken, he started off as a landscape painter and painted rooms in the house of a wealthy man in Amsterdam. He soon saw he could earn more money dealing in art than in painting himself.. Like his father he took young promising painters into his service, such as Hendrick FromantiouHendrick Fromantiou
Hendrik de Fromantiou was a Dutch still life painter.-Early life:In his youth, he produced works for the art dealer Gerrit van Uylenburgh in Amsterdam and from 1658 he was active in The Hague.-Career:...
, Jurriaen Ovens and Gerard de Lairesse
Gerard de Lairesse
Gerard or Gérard de Lairesse was a Dutch Golden Age painter and art theorist.Lairesse was born in Liège. His broad range of talent included music, poetry, and the theatre. He was perhaps the most celebrated Dutch painter in the period following the death of Rembrandt...
. He expanded the business internationally and sold many Italian masters and classical sculptures alongside Dutch art. The English painter Peter Lely
Peter Lely
Sir Peter Lely was a painter of Dutch origin, whose career was nearly all spent in England, where he became the dominant portrait painter to the court.-Life:...
and king John II Casimir of Poland
John II Casimir of Poland
John II Casimir was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania during the era of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Duke of Opole in Upper Silesia, and titular King of Sweden 1648–1660. In Poland, he is known and commonly referred as Jan Kazimierz. His parents were Sigismund III Vasa and...
both had Gerrit as their agent. In 1660 he advised the Cornelis
Cornelis de Graeff
Cornelis de Graeff, also Cornelis de Graeff van Polsbroek was the most illustrious member of the De Graeff family. He was a mayor of Amsterdam from the Dutch Golden Age and a powerful Amsterdam regent after the sudden death of stadholder William II of Orange...
and his younger brother Andries de Graeff
Andries de Graeff
Free Imperial Knight Andries de Graeff was a very powerful member of the Amsterdam branch of the De Graeff - family during the Dutch Golden Age. He became a mayor of Amsterdam and a powerful Amsterdam regent after the death of his older brother Cornelis de Graeff...
, one of the heads of the States-General of the Netherlands
States-General of the Netherlands
The States-General of the Netherlands is the bicameral legislature of the Netherlands, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The parliament meets in at the Binnenhof in The Hague. The archaic Dutch word "staten" originally related to the feudal classes in which medieval...
on their lavish Dutch Gift
Dutch Gift
The Dutch Gift of 1660 was a collection of 28 mostly Italian Renaissance paintings and 12 classical sculptures, along with a yacht, the Mary, and furniture, which was presented to King Charles II of England by the States-General of the Netherlands in 1660...
to Charles II of England
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
.
In 1671 he organised the auction of Gerrit Reynst
Gerrit Reynst
Gerrit Reynst was, like his younger brother Jan , a Dutch merchant and art collector from Amsterdam. He was an alderman and member of the town council, entering it in 1646.-The Collection:Gerrit's collection included Italian old-master paintings and antiquities, such as by Johann Liss...
's collection and offered thirteen paintings and some sculptures from among those which had not sold at the auction to Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg
Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg
|align=right|Frederick William was Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia – and thus ruler of Brandenburg-Prussia – from 1640 until his death. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he is popularly known as the "Great Elector" because of his military and political prowess...
. However, on Fromantiou's advice, Frederick accused them of being counterfeits and sent them back. http://books.google.com/books?id=Ev1xavyduGYC&pg=PA207&lpg=PA207&dq=%22hendrick+fromantiou%22&source=web&ots=KHfE7DUVvj&sig=7N55Uhv_T3cWyf-9iPpPkJ9QfHk Van Uylenburg then organized a counter-assessment, asking a total of 35 painters to pronounce on their authenticity, including Jan Lievens
Jan Lievens
Jan Lievens was a Dutch painter, usually associated with Rembrandt, working in a similar style.-Biography:According to Arnold Houbraken, Jan was the son of Lieven Hendriksze, a tapestry worker , and was trained by Joris Verschoten. He was sent to Pieter Lastman in Amsterdam at about the age of 10...
, Melchior de Hondecoeter, Gerbrand van den Eeckhout
Gerbrand van den Eeckhout
Gerbrand van den Eeckhout , was a Dutch Golden Age painter and a favourite student of Rembrandt. He was also an etcher, an amateur poet, a collector and an adviser on art.-Biography:...
and Johannes Vermeer
Johannes Vermeer
Johannes, Jan or Johan Vermeer was a Dutch painter who specialized in exquisite, domestic interior scenes of middle class life. Vermeer was a moderately successful provincial genre painter in his lifetime...
.
In 1675 van Uylenburgh hit financial problems, as a result of the war with France
Franco-Dutch War
The Franco-Dutch War, often called simply the Dutch War was a war fought by France, Sweden, the Bishopric of Münster, the Archbishopric of Cologne and England against the United Netherlands, which were later joined by the Austrian Habsburg lands, Brandenburg and Spain to form a quadruple alliance...
, falling art prices, and possibly due to the damage to his reputation from the Brandenburg affair. His business went bankrupt and Gerrit moved to London, where Lely exerted his influence at court and secured him the post of Surveyor of the King’s Pictures. He died in 1679.
In 2006 the Rembrandt House Museum
Rembrandt House Museum
The Rembrandt House Museum is a house in Jodenbreestraat in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where Rembrandt lived and painted for a number of years. It is now a museum...
presented an exhibition about Hendrick and Gerrit. The exhibition was also shown at the Dulwich Picture Gallery
Dulwich Picture Gallery
Dulwich Picture Gallery is an art gallery in Dulwich, South London. England's first purpose-built public art gallery, it was designed by Regency architect Sir John Soane and opened to the public in 1817. Soane arranged the exhibition spaces as a series of interlinked rooms illuminated naturally...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.