Adriaen van Stalbemt was born on 12 June 1580 in Antwerp to Protestant parents. No baptismal records from Antwerp's churches exist for the artist, as his family's Protestant faith meant they did not use Catholic parish churches. After the fall of Antwerp to Spanish forces in 1585, his family moved for religious reasons to Middelburg in Zeeland, where he probably received his artistic training. He returned to Antwerp around 1609, probably after the signing of the Twelve Years' Truce which heralded a cessation of hostilities between the Habsburg rulers of the Southern Netherlands and the Dutch Republic.

 

In 1609, van Stalbemt became a master in the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke, allowing him to set up his own workshop as an independent artist. The fact that he was appointed dean of the guild from 1618 to 1619 indicates that he had quickly acquired recognition in the Antwerp artistic scene of the early 17th century and was able to hold his own alongside the dominant families of the Brueghels and Francken, and of course Peter Paul Rubens. He participated in the intellectual life of the city through his membership in the chamber of rhetoric known as De Violieren.

 

On 5 May 1613, van Stalbemt married Barbara Verdelft, daughter of the art dealer Jan Verdelft. A daughter born to the couple died young and the couple remained childless. After his wedding, the artist's career flourished, and the family was able to acquire a home in the fashionable city center on the Meir. Van Stalbemt trained at least three pupils: Hans Mesmaeckers (registered 1616), Joannes Mesmakers, and Johannes de Vargas.

 

Van Stalbemt worked for the Antwerp art dealer Chrysostomos van Immerseel, producing paintings between 1634 and 1641. In 1633, the artist was active in London for about ten months. According to Cornelis de Bie [1] King Charles I of England had invited the artist to England. During his stay, he painted two landscape views of Greenwich with King Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria, which remain in the Royal Collection. This English sojourn demonstrates the international reputation van Stalbemt had achieved.

 

Van Stalbemt is considered one of the finest landscape painters in the circle of Jan Brueghel the Elder, who was only twelve years his senior. Alongside Abraham Govaerts, van Stalbemt is regarded as one of the best followers and imitators of Jan Brueghel the Elder. His work shows Brueghel's influence in the meticulous brush technique and miniature treatment of details. However, various characteristics help distinguish his works from those of Brueghel: to render foliage and the color of houses, he used light yellow rather than the pink tones favored by Jan Brueghel the Elder.

 

The influence of Adam Elsheimer is also evident in van Stalbemt's work, particularly in compositional structures. This influence is believed to have been transmitted via David Teniers the Elder, who had worked for a period in Elsheimer's studio. Van Stalbemt's later work shows similarities with Hendrick van Balen's compositions. He was also active as a printmaker, creating a series of landscape etchings representing coastal marine views with ships, watermills, windmills, ruins, and castles on mountains.

 

The artist had converted to Catholicism upon his wedding in 1613 but returned to the Protestant faith shortly before his death. He died on 21 September 1662 in Antwerp and was buried in an unconsecrated burial site in Putte. [2] His works are held in major museum collections including Amsterdam, Antwerp, Berlin, Budapest, Dresden, Florence, Frankfurt, Kassel, Madrid, and many other institutions throughout Europe.

 

This atmospheric painting depicts bathing nymphs within an elegant garden pavilion, set within an elaborate architectural fantasy. In the foreground, the nude nymphs frolic in a pool or bath, their pale flesh tones creating luminous accents against the darker architectural elements. The composition is organized through a series of arches and colonnades that recede into the distance, creating a complex spatial structure characteristic of Adriaen van Stalbemt's mature work. On the left, a classical colonnade with Corinthian capitals frames the scene, while a wooden balustrade with colorful drapery extends across the middle ground. Beyond the immediate bathing area, multiple archways reveal further architectural vistas with additional figures, cypresses, and buildings bathed in soft atmospheric light.

 

The painting demonstrates van Stalbemt's skill in combining landscape elements with architectural capricci and figure painting. The idealized Italianate setting, with its classical ruins, cypress trees, and luminous sky, reflects the influence of painters who worked in Rome, particularly Paul Bril. The careful attention to atmospheric perspective—evident in the gradual lightening of tones from the shadowed foreground to the bright distance—and the meticulous rendering of architectural details showcase van Stalbemt's technical accomplishment.

 

Over a dozen composition featuring bathing nymphs in a classical or fantastical architectural setting by Van Stalbemt have survived [3], testifying to their popularity with early-17th-century collectors, combining the appeal of mythological themes with opportunities for displaying both architectural knowledge and figure painting skill. The nymphs, mythological female spirits associated with water, nature, and fertility, were frequently depicted in scenes of bathing or leisure in idealized settings. The Neptune fountain on the right was repeated in a very similar composition by van Stalbemt, which can be dated ca. 1620. [4] The present painting must be dated around the same period.

 

 

END NOTES

 

 

[1] Cornelis de Bie, Het Gulden Cabinet, Antwerp, 1661, 228.

 

[2] For a comprehensive study on van Stalbemt’s life and work, see: Klaus Ertz & Christina Nitze-Ertz, Adrian van Stalbemt (1580 - 1662). Kritischer Katalog der Gemälde, Zeichnungen und Druckgraphik, Freren, Luca Verlag, 2018.

 

[3] Ibid., cat. no. 220 - 232.