Martin Rijckaert

1587 - Antwerp – 1631


A Flemish landscape painter, Martin Rijckaert belonged to a family of five artists. His father, the painter and art dealer David Rijckaert I, was his first master, after which he became the pupil of the landscape artist Tobias Verhaecht. Master of the Antwerp Guild of Painters in 1611, he also became a ‘Member of the Chamber of Rhetoric’. Like Jan Brueghel I and II, it is only later that he would complete his training with several years spent in Italy, where he was influenced by Paul Bril, whom he met in Rome circa 1615-1616. These years were a determining factor in the elaboration of his conception of landscape. He also learnt to lighten his palette, thus bringing a sense of freshness and translucence to his paintings. He invented and perfected a personal style: strong colours or impasto in the foreground, lighter colours painted in lively strokes in the background. Furthermore, the arrangements in his paintings are always rich in details. His works are rarely signed, but his particular conception of foliage in generally dense and rounded tufts, as well as certain favourite motifs, allow us to identify him. His manner of painting water is particularly remarkable. While retaining all his talent as a colourist, Martin Rijckaert shows a powerful sense of composition in his last works, worthy of the greatest landscape artists.
He died in his prime in 1631 at the age of 44.