Page:Bryan's dictionary of painters and engravers, volume 1.djvu/223

 at Haarlem about 1635. He painted history, and was patronized by the Prince of Orange, for whom he ] ainted one of his best pictures, representing the ' Triumph of Venus.' Vondel, a poet of his country, has celebrated the works of this painter. He died at Haarlem in 1682.

BLES, David, Dutch painter, born at the Hague on September 19, 1821. Studied historical painting under Cornells Kruseman. He went to Paris at the age of twent}', where he stayed several yeara, visiting England and Belgium. His pictures were imbued with a somewhat melancholy and satirical humour. He figured at the Paris Exhibition of 1855 with four pictures which attracted attention ; two of these, ' Le Directeur des Femmes ' and ' Un jeune menage et la vieille tante,' were inspired by the satires of Boiieau. He also contributed to the Exhibition of 1878, when he was decorated with the Legion of Honour, besides several foreign orders. His death occurred at the Hague towards the end of 1899. p_ p_

BLES, Hesdbik, commonly called Herri met DE Bles (with the forelock), was born at Bouvignes about 1480. He imitated the style of Joachim Patenier, under whom he is supposed to have studied at Antwerp, and painted in the stiff and dry manner of his time. He generally introduced into his landscapes scriptural subjects, with a number of neatly drawn figures. Instead of mark- ing his works mth his name, he usually painted an owl in one of the comers, for which reason the Italians nicknamed him ' Civetta.' He died at Liege about 1550 (the Berlin Gallery Catalogue says " after 1521 "). His pictures are very curious, and much esteemed We note the following :

Portrait of a Young Man. Landscape with ruin. Christ on the Cross. „ „ The Magdalen. Hodena. 5. Pietro. Pieti. Mnnich. Pinakothek. Adoration of the Kings. Venice. Accademia. Tower of Babel.

BLESENDORF, Constantin Friedbich, the brother of Samuel Blesendorf, was boni at Berlin in 1675. He was a miniature painter in water- colour and oil, and an engraver, and worked chiefly for the booksellers. He died in 1754. We have by him :

A Frontispiece for Julian's Opera ; S. BleMndorf im. C. F, Blesendorf fee Frontispiece for Beyer's Thesaurus Antiquitatum ; F. C. Blesendorf fee. Portrait of Frederick 'William, Elector of Brandenburg. 1088.

BLESENDORF, Samuel, a Prussian enamel painter and engraver, was born at Berlin in 1670. He designed and engraved several portraits for Puffendorfs 'History of Sweden.' He worked chiefly with the graver, and his plates are very neatly finished. He died in 1706. Among others we have by him :

Charles XI., King of Sweden. Charles XII. Frederick Rudolph Louis, Baron of Canitz. Samnel, Baron of Puffendorf. Frederick III.. Elector of Brandenburg. 1696. Frederick William, Prince Electoral. Frederick William ; after Adam de Gere. The Portraits of John Fre'lerick of Brandenburg, 5I.-ir- grave of Anspach, and the Margrarine, in a garden ; after Gasp, yetscher. 1682 ; very fine.

BLEYSWYCK, F. van, a Dutch engraver, who flourished at Leyden from about 1720 to 1746. He L Berlin. Museum. Florence. Vffi::u London. ^al. Gall. engraved many portraits for the publications of his time, which are highly finished, but without much taste. Among these are some of the plates for Hof- man's ' Portraits historiques des Hommes illustres de Darmemark,' dated 1746. He also engraved some small landscapes, in which the point and the graver are handled with great delicacy.

BLICKE. See Bliek.

BLIECKER (or Blieker). See Bleecker.

BLIEK, Daniel van, (or Blicke.) was a good painter of interiors and exteriors of churches and other public buildings ; he lived at Middelburg from about 1650 to 1661. His manner of painting resembles that of Van iet. The Berlin Museum has the Interior of a Church, by him, signed and lated 1653.

BLIN, FfiAxgois, a French landscape painter, who was bom at Rennes in 1827, studied under Picot, and exhibited at the Salon from 1852 to 1866, in which year he died in his native town. His paintings were often of a gloomy character, but showed a close study of nature. The follow- ing are the best : Ruins of the Castle at Guildo ; i» the Lille Museum The Old Mill at Guildo. A Slimmer Evening at Sologne.

BLIND, RtTDOLF, portrait painter, c. 1846-1889, contributor to 'Vanity Fair' and 'St. James' Gazette.' Exhibited once at R.A. ' Asrael,' 1874. Painted Portraits of Wilson Barrett as Hamlet. Ex- liibited at Leeds, 'Sweet and Twenty.' Died 1689(y).

BLINKVLIET, M. The exact time when this painter flourished is unknown ; but he imitated Berchem so successfully that his works have been ascribed to that master : probably they were con- temporaries.

BLOGH, Charles Henry, Danish painter, bom at Copenhagen May 23, 1834. At the age of fifteen he left the school of Marine Cadets for that of the Beaux Arts, where he carried off all the prizes. In 1859 he gained a scholarsliip for Rome, where, with the exception of a brief interval, he resided until 1865. He became a member of the Academy of Copenhagen, and Professor at the school of Beaux Arts there. His pictures are chiefly remarkable for their facile technique and genuine dramatic effect. He excelled in portraying the semi-comic side of Italian convent life, but at times gained an unenviable notoriety by his too free treatment of sacred ceremonies. He gained a first-class medal and decoration of the Legion of Honour at the Universal Exhibition of 1878. He painted two pictures for the Oratory of Fredericksborg, entitled ' Visit of Mary to Eliza- betli ' and ' Jesus Christ Healing a Blind Man.' His death took place at Copenhagen on February 22, 1890. p p

BLOCHOM. See Lochom.

BLOCK, Bexjamix, the son of Daniel Block, was born at Liibeck in 1631. He was instructed in art by his father, and proved a reputable painter of history and portraits. The Prince of Mecklen- burg, in whose service his father passed a great part of his life, took him under his protection, and sent him to Italy for improvement. He visited Rome, Naples, and Venice, and met with employment as fi portrait painter in each of those cities. On his rt-tum from Italy he was invited to the court of S.ixony, where he painted portraits of tlie electoral family and the principal courtiers. He died at Ratisbon about 1690. His historical works were altar-pieces for the churches in Germany.