The Life and Art of Jacob van Reesbroeck

Born in Antwerp, Belgium, Jacob van Reesbroeck was a Flemish painter and engraver who began his artistic training at the age of fourteen under Jacob Spaeingaert. He studied both painting and engraving, eventually becoming a master of the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke in 1641. During this time, he was also inducted into the sodaliteit of bejaerde jongmans, a fraternity for bachelors established by the Jesuit order. His social standing in Antwerp was further reflected by his appointment as wijkmeester by the Antwerp magistrate and his roles within the sodaliteit der getrouwden.

His professional career was marked by commissions from a diverse range of patrons, including local families, ecclesiastical clients, and foreign aristocrats. Notable subjects included Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, and members of the Moretus family, the owners of the Plantin Press. He also received commissions to paint portraits of Charles-Antoine de Calonne and Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg. In his later years, he moved to Hoogstraten, where he painted four works representing the church fathers for the Saint John Evangelist Church of the local beguinage.

Portraiture and Technique

The oeuvre of van Reesbroeck consists primarily of portraits. His work often features specific compositional elements, such as a red curtain, a view to the open sky, and an antique column in the background. In his portraits of Balthasar Moretus II and his wife Anna Goos, the sitters are depicted with stern expressions, dressed in the latest fashions without extravagance, conveying an impression of wealth and virtue. In contrast, his portrait of the fourteen-year-old Balthasar III Moretus is described as more lively, showing the young man in a confident, akimbo posture with richly detailed costume.

While much of his work is known through original paintings, some of his works are only known through prints made by himself or other Antwerp engravers, such as the Portrait of Cardinal Benedict Blommaerts. His technical range included: