Jacob Jordaens

Jacob Jordaens (1593-1678) was a Flemish Baroque painter. From the time of Peter Paul Rubens' death in 1640, Jacob Jordaens was in greater demand than any other artist in northern Europe. He remained Antwerp's leading figure painter until his death. Unlike most of his contemporaries, Jordaens never went to Italy. He was born and lived his whole life in Antwerp, where he and his friend Rubens shared the same teacher, Adam Van Noort. In the 1620s Jordaens built a flourishing studio while also frequently assisting Rubens. His style is based on Rubens' exuberance, but with a stronger contrast of light and dark as well as a thicker layering of paint. Despite converting from Catholicism to Calvinism in mid-life, Jordaens received numerous commissions for Catholic churches. A masterful technician, Jordaens' prolific output includes altarpieces, portraits, genre, and mythological scenes. He also produced watercolours, tapestry designs and engravings. His late works include large genre scenes.