Page:Bryan's dictionary of painters and engravers, volume 1.djvu/167

 I. favoured him with his patronage, and he was appointed to instruct the Prince of Wales and Duke of York in drawing. Beck is said to have painted with unusual promptitude and facility, which, being remarked by the king when sitting to him, occasioned that monarch to tell him pleasantly that he believed he could paint if he were riding post. After passing some years in England, he visited Sweden, where he was received with dis- tinction by Queen Christina, who appointed him her principal painter and chamberlain. Notwith- standing the flattering protection he received from the queen, his desire to revisit his native country prompted him to solicit permission to return to Holland, which lie with difficulty obtained, under a promise to return. His attachment to his country prevented his fulfilling his engagement, and he died at the Hague in 1656.

BECKENKAIIP, Caspar Benedict, who was bom, in 1747, in the valley of Ehrenbreitstein, near Coblence, studied under his father and Jan Zick, at Coblence. At first he devoted himself to painting landscapes, after C. G. Schiitz; but afterwards changed to portraiture. He settled at Cologne, and imitated with success the style of painting of the old German masters. He died in that town in 1828. Several portraits by him are in the Wallraf Museum, Cologne. For the church of Santa Maria in Littore, Cologne, he painted a copy of a Piet4 — once in that church, and now in the Stadel Gallery — formerly ascribed to Schoreel, but now given to Mabuse.

BKCKER, August, landscape painter, was born at Darmstadt in 1822. He studied in his native town under Schilbach, and afterwards settled at Dvlsseldorf. He several times visited Queen Vic- toria at Balmoral, where he painted a series of pictures of Highland scenery, and gave lessons to the young princesses. In 1862 he became teacher to the Hereditary Princess of HohenzoUern. He died at Diisseldorf in December, 1887.

BECKER, Ferdixand, was bom at Gousenheim in 1846. He entered the studio of Steinle, at Frankfort, in 1868, and afterwards removed to Mayence, where he painted his most celebrated work, • Juden im Dom.' He also illustrated the German ' Mahrchen.' He died in 1877.

BECKER, Jakob, bom at Dittelsheim, near Worms, in 1810, learned the rudiments of painting in his native town. He went to Dusseldorf in 1833, and painted under Schirmer first landscapes, aftenvards romantic pieces, and finally genre, in which latter branch he especially excelled. In 1840 he became Professor at the Stadel Institute at Frankfort, and was subsequently elected a member of the Academies of Berlin and Brussels. He died at Frankfort in 1872. Amongst his best works may be mentioned :

A Farmer's family praying for the sick mother. Evening at the Well in the Westerwald. The Warrior returning home. The Wounded Poacher {in possession of (he Count Jiaczynaki, Berlin). A Shepherd killed by lightning {painted in 1844. Siddei Institute). The rettiming home from the harest-field {engraved by Steifeyisandj.

BECKER, LoDis Hroo, a painter and etcher, bom at Wesel in 1834, studietl landscape p.iinting under Schirmer and Gude, at Dusseldorf, about 1852. He afterwards visited Westphalia, the Upper Rhine, the Moselle, Switzerland, Normandy, and the neighbour- hood of the Baltic. In 1861 he obtained a medal at Metz. He died at Dusseldorf in 1868. Among his landscapes the most important are :

The Sacrifice of the Old Germans {in postession of Gl V. Groben). The Passing Storm. Smiday Morning. The Shepherd on the Pasture. Christmas Eve. The Vine-crop on the Moselle.

BECKER, Philipp Jakob, a Gemian painter, was born at Pforzheim in 1763. At seventeen years of age he went to Rome, where he studied and fomied his style under Raphael Mengs and Maron. In 1785 he returned to Carlsruhe, having acquired in Italy a high degree of skill in every technical requirement of his art. But he was want- ing in poetic fancy, and did not succeed in any remarkable manner in oil-painting. He died at Erlenbad in 1829. He left a large number of drawings in crayons and sepia, many of them copies, but all admirable for the taste and finish displayed in their execution. He was for many years Director of all the collections of paintings and engravings of the Grand Duke of Baden.

BECKET, Isaac. This artist was one of the earliest mezzotint engravers in England. He was born in Kent in 1653, and was bred to the busi- ness of a calico-printer ; but becoming acquainted with Lutterel, who had made some progress in the art of mezzotint engraving, he learned from him the process, and executed in that way several plates, of which some are portraits. We have the following by him :

portraits. Sir Godfrey Kneller ; from a picture by Eneller. Charles II. ; after Eneller. James, Duke of York ; after the same. Henry, Duke of Grafton ; after T. Hawker. The Duchess of Grafton ; after Wissing. Charles Melford ; after the same. Sir Peter Lely ; Seipse,pinx. George, Prince of Denmark ; after Jtiley. Henry Compton, Bishop of London ; after the same. Christopher, Earl of Albemarle ; after Murray. George, Duke of Buckingham ; after Verheht. John Maitland, Duke of Lauderdale ; after Eiley. Henry, Duke of Norfolk. Thomas Cartwright, Bishop of Chester ; very scarce Lady Williams ; full length. Adrian Beverland, drawn from a statue.

SUBJECTS AFTER VARIOUS MASTERS.

The Virgin Mary and St. Joseph, with the Infant Jesus asleep, with two Angels ; without name of painter. Time cutting the Wings of Love. A Landscape, with a Shepherd and Shepherdess. The Dutch Schoolmaster ; after Heemskerk. The Village Barber Surgeon ; after J. Lingelbach.

BECKMANN, Karl, landscape and architectural painter, was born in 1799, at Berlin. He received his art education chiefly in the studio of Wach. During 1824 he spent a short time in Paris; and passed the period between the summer of 1828 and the spring of 1833 in Italy. He was afterwards appointed Professor of Architecture and Perspective to the Royal Academy of Beriin. For his pure art-tendency, although he was engaged in other departments, he was indebted to Wach, and his residence in Italy increased his powerful combination of form and colour, which give to those pictures of his, which treat chiefly of architecturil subjects, such a solid vigorous stamp. He died at Berlin, in 1859. A ' View of the cloister of Sin