Dirck Barendsz.

1534–1592, Amsterdam

The very fact that Dirck Barendsz. worked in Venice between 1555 and 1562 under none other than Titian makes him an outstanding figure in the spectrum of 16th century Dutch art. We owe this knowledge to Carel van Mander, who also pointed out the close relationship between master and pupil. Following his return from Italy, Barendsz. began his creative career in Amsterdam, where his Venetian experiences must have considerably enhanced his prestige in his home town. Contemporary sources depict Barendsz. as a wealthy and widely educated man who associated with some of the outstanding minds of his epoch, such as the poet and statesman Marnix van Sint Aldegonde and the humanist Domenicus Lampsonius, his approximate coeval. Despite Barendsz.’ prolific creativity only few of his paintings have been preserved. The rare known works show him to have been an important intermediary between the Italian and Nordic traditions.