Frans Snyders

Paintings

Concert of Birds

Fox and Cat

The Fruit Basket

Fight of Cocks

Hunting Still-life

Porcupines and Vipers

Still Life with a Wine Cooler

The Lion and the Mouse

Hellenica World, Paintings, Drawings

Still Life with Terms and a Bust of Ceres

Hellenica World, Paintings, Drawings

Fruit Vendor

Hellenica World, Paintings, Drawings

Fox and cat

Hellenica World, Paintings, Drawings

Large Still-life with a lady and parrot

Hellenica World, Paintings, Drawings

Deer hunting

Hellenica World, Paintings, Drawings

Venison dealer

Drawings

Hellenica World, Paintings, Drawings

Study of a boars head

Hellenica World, Paintings, Drawings

Study of a boars head

Peter Paul Rubens and Frans Snyders

Diana Returning from Hunt

Ceres and Pan

Ceres with two Nymphs

The Recognition of Philopoemen

Christ and John the Baptist as children and two angels

Concert of Birds

Frans Snyders or Snijders (11 November 1579, Antwerp – 19 August 1657, Antwerp) was a Flemish painter of animals and still lifes.

Biography
Still Life with a Wine Cooler (1610-1620)

Snyders was born and died in Antwerp. He was recorded as a student of Pieter Brueghel the Younger in 1593, and subsequently received instruction from Hendrick van Balen, the first master of Anthony van Dyck. He was a friend of van Dyck who painted Snyders and his wife more than once (Frick Collection, Kassel etc.).

He became a master of the Antwerp Guild of St. Luke in 1602. He travelled to Italy in 1608-9, visiting Rome, and working for Cardinal Borromeo in Milan. In 1611 he married Margaretha, the sister of Cornelis de Vos and Paul de Vos (another animal painter), in Antwerp. Jan Fyt (Joannes Fijt) was a student, and then assistant of his from 1629.

He was appointed principal painter to the Archduke Albert of Austria, governor of the Low Countries, for whom he executed some of his finest works. One of these, a Stag-Hunt was presented to Philip III of Spain, who together with his successor Philip IV of Spain, commissioned the artist to paint several subjects of the chase, which are still preserved in Spain. He also worked for Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria, when he became Governor.

He had many apprentices: his registered pupils were Nicasius Bernaerts, Peter van Boucle, Juriaen Jacobsze, Jan Roos (I), and Paul de Vos.[1] Peter van Boucle claimed that he was a pupil of Frans Snijders but there are no written sources available in Antwerp that support this contention. However, there are stylistic similarities in van Boucle's works which suggest that he worked in the circle of Frans Snijders.[2]

Works

Snyders initially devoted himself to painting flowers, fruit and subjects of still life, but later turned to painting animals, and executed with the greatest skill and spirit hunting pieces and combats of wild animals. He was one of the earliest specialist animaliers.

His composition is rich and varied, his drawing correct and vigorous, his touch bold and thoroughly expressive of the different textures of furs and skins. His excellence in this department excited the admiration of Rubens, who frequently employed him to paint animals, fruit and still life in his own pictures, and he assisted Jacob Jordaens, Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert, Jan Janssens and other artists in a similar manner.

In the lion and boar hunts which bear the name of Snyders the hand of Rubens sometimes appears. He was one of the executors of Rubens' will.

References

Frans Snijders at the Netherlands Institute for Art History (Dutch)

Peter van Boucle at the Netherlands Institute for Art History (Dutch)

Public Domain This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.