Wednesday, November 14, 2018

1675 Jan Siberechts, (1627‑c.1700) View of Longleat

Jan Siberechts, (Flemish-born English artist, 1627‑c.1700) View of Longleat

Jan Siberechts (1627–1703) was born in Antwerp, the son of a sculptor with the same name. After establishing himself as an artist in Flanders, he moved to England during his forties.  Siberechts was one of scores of Dutch & Flemish artists who came to Britain in the 17C. He was baptized in Antwerp in 1627.  He was elected to the Guild of St Luke in 1648. By 1674, he was in England, apparently at the encouragement of George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, who had seen some of Siberechts's landscapes in Antwerp in 1670. The artist was a Catholic, & one of his daughters became a lace-maker for the Queen.He was best known in England as a painter of topographical views of country houses & more general landscapes.  He seems to have traveled widely in Britain, and was in Wales in 1696. He remained in England until his death.