A BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF
reputation, and became afterwards a scholar of
Cesar van Everdingen. On leaving that master
he went to Italy, and passed some time at Rome,
where the Flemish Society of Painters conferred
on him the name of Maat (or comrade). He also
spent some time in Candia. He was living in
1674, but the date of his death is not known. His
best pictures, in which he combined the truth and
nature of the Dutch school with the giand scenery
of Italy, represent storms on the coast of the
Mediterranean. The Brussels Museum and the
Schleissheim Gallery contain each a good specimen
of his art.
BLANSERI, ViTTORio, (or Blancheri,) was bom at Venice, about 1735, and was educated in the school of the Cavaliere Claudio Beaumont. He is considered his ablest scholar, and succeeded him in the service of the court of Turin, in which city are his principal works. Three of his pictures are in the church of San Pelagio, one of which, represent- ing ' St. Louis fainting, supported by an angel,' is particularly admired. He died in 1775.
BLARENBERGHE, Henbi DfeiBfi van, a French painter in water-colours, born at Lille in 1734, was the son of Jacques Guillaume van Blarenberghe, a painter, who died in 1742. His works are dis- tinguished by the charm of their composition and the delicacy of their execution, and are much sought after by collectors. He excelled in subjects in miniature painted upon snuff-boxes, bonbon- niires, and rings, many of which have realized high prices when sold by public auction. At the Demidofi sale in 1863, a snuff-box in gold, painted with a view of the chSteau of Bellevue, sold for 11,000 francs. There are drawings by him in the Louvre, and some views of European capitals painted in oil at Versailles. Blarenberghe died in Paris in 1812. He had a son, Lonis Nicolas, who imitated his style so well that it is impossible to distinguish their unsigned works. The dates of his birth and death are unknown.
BLASCO, Matlas, was a painter of merit at Val- ladolid early in the reign of Philip IV. His style was simple and natural, and his colouring pleasing. He painted for the church of San Lorenzo at Valla- dolid a ' Martyrdom of St. Lawrence ' which bears his signature and the date 1621. He also painted four pictures of miracles wrought by a favourite Virgin of the same church.
BLEAVIT, — . This artist is mentioned by Strutt as an engraver of portraits. Among others, he engraved that of Ren6 Descartes, the philosopher.
BLECHEN, Kael Eduabd Ferdinand, landscape Eainter, was bom at Kottbus in 1798. Although ia inclination for art developed itself very early, he first, in 1812, entered a banker's business. He next occupied himself as a decorative painter. In the easel-pieces of his earlier period the influence of the Dutch painters manifests itself in a power- ful observation of nature in his technical treat- ment ; in his conception, however, an uncommon fantastic disposition is noticeable — at times in- clining to the melancholy, at times to the romantic. A journey now undertaken to Italy disclosed to him his taste for pure art, and now at length he displayed in his pictures and sketches a keen insight, astonishing for his time, into the true characteristic of light and atmosphere in Italian landscape. At this period of his painting his former fantastic nature is only occasionally noticeable. In 1830 he was made teacher of the landscape class at the Berlin Academy, and he may be looked upon as the founder of the modem Berlin school of landscape, in virtue especially of his more important Italian pictures. He died in 1840 at Berlin. In the Museum there is a 'View of Tivoli ; ' and the majority of his water-colour drawings and sketches are now in the Royal Collection of engravings there.
BLEECK, Pieteb van, a Dutch portrait painter, and the son of Richard van Bleeck, painter of portraits, was bom at the Hague in 1695. He went to London in 1723, was much employed, and died there in 1764. He engraved several plates In mezzotint, which, without any superior excellency, are clearly scraped, and have considerable merit He sometimes marked his plates with the -fjl) annexed monogram. We have by him . 1D Kichard van Bleeck, painter; se ipse pinx. P. van Bleeck junior, fee. 1735.
Rembrandt van Eijn ; se ipse pinx. Van Bleeek. 1727 ; with the cipher. Francois du Quesnoy, called Fiammingo, Sculptor ; A. van Dyck pinx. P. V.B.I, f. 1751. Nell Gwyn ; after Lely. Mrs. Olive, in the character of Phillida ; P. van Bleedt fee. 1735. Mrs. Gibber, in the character of Cordelia ; the same. Griffin and Johnson, in the characters of Tribulation and Ananias ; the same. The Virgin Mary and Infant ; after A . van der Werf. 1748.
BLEECKER. Several painters of this came flourished at Haarlem during the 17th century. The name is found in various forms — Bleecker, Bleeker, Bliecker, Blieker, Blecker, and Bleker. The following are the most important:
BLEECKER, Dirk, was a native of Haarlem, and flourished in the 17th century. In the Gallery at Brunswick is an excellent portrait, which is sup- posed to be his own, painted by himself, and dated 1617. He lived as late as 1652, the date of a painting by him of ' Mary Magdalene.'
BLEECKER, Gerrit Claesz, who died at Haarlem in 1656, distinguished himself there as a painter of landscapes and figures.
BLEECKER, Jan Gaspab, was bom at Haarlem in 1608. He was a painter, but is more especially known by his engravings, which are rather scarce. The Brunswick Gallery has a painting of 'St. Paul and St. Barnabas ' by him. He etched several plates, both from his own designs and after other masters, executed in a slight and spirited style, of which the following are the principal :
SUBJECTS FROM HIS OWN DESIGNS.
A Landscape, with Jacob and Rachel. A Landscape, with Rebekah and the servant of Abraham. A Peasant and a Woman riding in a waggon. A similar subject. A Landscape, with a carriage at the door of an inn. 1843 A Landscape, with a woman milking a cow, and a peasant. 1643, A Landscape, with cattle. A Landsoape, with a woman on horseback. A Landscape, with figures on horseback. A Landscape, with a shepherd watching his flock.
SUBJECTS FROM CORNELIS POELENBURG, IN THE STYLE OF REMBRANDT.
Jacob and Laban dividing their flocks ; J. G. Blecker. aq.fort. 1638. The Lystrians wishing to sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas same mark. 1638. The Crucifixion ; C. P. pinx. I. C. B.
BLEEK, Pieter van. See Bleeck.
BLEKERS, NoRBERT, a Dutch painter, was horn
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