Maarten van Heemskerck

Maarten van Heemskerck (born Maerten Jacobsz van Veen; 1 June 1498 – 1 October 1574), also known as Marten Jacobsz Heemskerk van Veen, was a Dutch portrait and religious painter. He worked mostly in Haarlem. He learned from Jan van Scorel and used his teacher’s style, which was influenced by Italy.

Van Heemskerck became well known for his art. He visited Italy from 1532 to 1536, where he learned more and got new ideas.

One of his most famous works includes paintings of the Wonders of the World. He also made many designs for engravers. These helped share his art with many people. His paintings and designs are still important examples of Dutch art from the 1500s.

Biography

Maarten van Heemskerck was born in the village of Heemskerk, North Holland, in 1498. He learned to paint from Jan van Scorel. He later traveled to Italy from 1532 to 1536. There, he made many drawings of old buildings and statues for his paintings.

After returning to the Netherlands, Heemskerck became a leader in the artists' group in Haarlem. He painted many important religious artworks. His time in Italy changed his style, but some people thought his paintings were not as good as before. Later, he worked in Delft and Amsterdam, where he stayed until he passed away in 1574.

Engravings

Maarten van Heemskerck was one of the first artists from the Netherlands to make drawings for printers. He used special lines and dots to help printers create clear pictures.

He made a set of pictures showing eight wonders of the ancient world. He added the Colosseum in Rome to the usual seven wonders. The Colosseum was shown in ruins, with a giant statue of Jupiter in the middle. These pictures were carved into metal by Philip Galle and published in 1572. Some of the wonders he showed include the Colossus of Rhodes, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Great Pyramid of Giza, and the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. He even painted a picture of himself with the Colosseum in the background self-portrait with the Colosseum.

Paintings

Many paintings by Maarten van Heemskerck still exist today. One famous painting is Adam and Eve. Another is St. Luke painting the Likeness of the Virgin and Child, which shows a poet and a parrot in a cage. These paintings show his style before he went to Italy. After he came back from Italy, his style changed. We can see this in a large altar-piece he made for the St. Laurence Church in Alkmaar.

Van Heemskerck also painted scenes from the Bible. He made altar-pieces for churches in Haarlem and Delft. His paintings show the influence of famous artists like Michelangelo and Raphael. They also show his Dutch roots. You can find his works in many museums across Europe, including the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent and the Frans Hals Museum.

Death

Maarten van Heemskerck made a will in Amsterdam that still exists today. He lived a long and successful life. He left money and land to help the orphanage in Haarlem. He wanted the money to help couples get married at his tomb in the cathedral of Haarlem. People at that time believed getting married there would help keep the peace of those buried in the tomb.

Reputation

Maarten van Heemskerck was well liked and respected by many during his time. He was an important painter in Haarlem. With his teacher Jan van Scorel, he helped bring new Italian art styles to the Northern Netherlands. He made a famous series about the wonders of the world, which later became prints. The artist Karel van Mander wrote about his life in a book called Schilder-boeck.

Public collections

Maarten van Heemskerck's artwork is in many important museums around the world. Some of these museums are the Courtauld Institute of Art, the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, and the National Gallery, London. Other museums with his work include the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, and the University of Michigan Museum of Art.