Abraham Mignon

Still-life with a parrot, 1669-1679, Wilanów Palace.

Abraham Mignon or Minjon (21 June 1640 – 27 March 1679), was a Dutch golden age painter, specialized in flower bouquets.

Biography

Abraham Mignon - Bouquet with cat and mousetrap

Mignon was born at Frankfurt. His father, a merchant, placed him under the care of the still-life painter Jacob Marrel, when he was only seven years old.[1] Marrel specialized in flower painting, and found him to be his best pupil. He accompanied Mignon when he moved to the Netherlands about 1660 to work under Jan Davidszoon de Heem at Utrecht. In 1675 he settled there permanently and married the daughter of the painter Cornelis Willaerts (granddaughter of Adam Willaerts). He died at Utrecht.

Mignon's signature - Abraham Mignon Fecit.

Marrel's stepdaughter Maria Sibylla Merian (1647–1717), daughter of the engraver Matthew Merian, who lived with Marrel and thus studied with Mignon, achieved distinction as a flower painter.[2] Besides Merian, his other pupil was Ernst Stuven.[3] He left two daughters when he died; Catharina and Anna.[3]

Technique

Mignon devoted himself almost exclusively to painting stilleben of flowers, fruit, birds and other still-life, though at times he also attempted portraiture. His flower pieces are marked by careful finish and delicate handling. His favourite scheme was to introduce red or white roses in the centre of the canvas and to set the whole group of flowers against a dark background.[4]

Nowhere can his work be seen to better advantage than at the Dresden Gallery, which contains fifteen of his paintings, twelve of which are signed. Six of his pictures are at the Louvre, four at the Hermitage, and other examples are to be found at the museums of Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, Brussels, Munich, Karlsruhe, Brunswick, Kassel, Schwerin, Copenhagen, Warsaw, Lyon, Florence and Turin.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Chisholm 1911.
  2. ↑ Abraham Minjon biography in De groote schouburgh der Nederlantsche konstschilders en schilderessen (1718) by Arnold Houbraken, courtesy of the Digital library for Dutch literature
  3. 1 2 Abraham Mignon in the RKD
  4. 1 2  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Mignon, Abraham". Encyclopædia Britannica. 18 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 427.

External links

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