Mathieu Schoevaerdts (Brussels 1665-after 1702)

Mathieu Schoevaerdts was a Flemish painter whose bright, panoramic landscapes follow in the tradition of Jan Brueghel the Elder (1568-1625). He was born circa 1665, probably in Brussels, where his brother Frans, also a painter, was active around 1704. Mathieu Schoevaerdts was a pupil of the landscape painter Adriaen Frans Boudewyns (1644-1711) in 1682 and in 1690 became a master in the Guild of Saint Luke. From 1692-6 he was a dean of the Guild.
Schoevaerdts specialized in landscapes packed with incident, with delicately painted scenes of peasants traveling, sailing or attending kermesses. His figure groups are individualised and carefully observed. He painted with a bright, clear palette and many of his landscapes have deep compositions with an atmospheric sunset or misty blue mountains in the far distance. Schoevaerdts's later work, with Italianate ports and ruins, is influenced by the Dutch and Flemish artists who worked in Rome. He had a successful career and his jewel-like paintings were much collected throughout the eighteenth century.