- Adriaen Brouwer
Adriaen Brouwer (1605,
Oudenaarde - January 1638,Antwerp ) was a Flemish genre painter active inFlanders and theDutch Republic in the seventeenth century.At a young age Brouwer, probably born as "Adriaen de Brauwer", moved perhaps via Antwerp to
Haarlem , where he became a student ofFrans Hals alongsideAdriaen van Ostade . He also was active in stage acting and poetry. He stayed in Haarlem andAmsterdam until 1631, when he moved back toAntwerp in theSpanish Netherlands . There, he became a member of theGuild of St. Luke in 1631 – 1632, as well as the rhetoricians's chamber "De Violieren".Tradition has it that Brouwer himself spent much time in the alehouses of
Flanders andHolland . His works are typically detailed and small, and often adopt themes of debauchery, drunkenness and foolishness in order to explore human emotions, expressions and responses to pain, fear and the senses. "The Bitter Tonic" (illustrated right) is an example of the type of work that depicts such responses, in this case the sense of taste. His work was well liked, to the point that forgeries were sold in his own time. Both Rubens andRembrandt owned a number of his works. Nevertheless, Brouwer appeared in financial trouble throughout his life.He died at the early age of 32 in Antwerp, where he was first buried in a common grave, but, upon instigation of the members of the guild, was reburied on
Feb 1 1638 in the church of theCarmelites .References
* Konrad Renger: "Brouwer, Adriaen [Adriaan] " "Grove Art Online".
Oxford University Press , [accessed 17 May, 2007] .External links
* [http://home.tiscali.be/jvanomme/brouwer/5.html Very detailed bio] (in Dutch)
* [http://www.staedelmuseum.de/index.php?id=440 The "Bitter Tonic" at the Städel, Frankfurt.]
* [http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/bio/b/brouwer/biograph.html Web Gallery of Art: Biography of Adriaen Brouwer]
* [http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/b/brouwer/index.html Web Gallery of Art: Paintings by Adriaen Brouwer]
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