GROENEWEGEN, Pieter Anthonisz. van - b. ~1600 Delft, d. 1658 Den Haag

Dutch painter, specialised in landscapes. He was influenced by his sojourn in Italy (1615-1623), having joined the ‘Bentveughel’ circle there under the sobriquet “Lion” in the 1620’s, joining Bramer and Breenbergh there. He is seen as follower of Breenbergh and Jacob Pynas.

He spent time in Delft (1626-1643) where he entered the Guild in 1626, and The Hague (1657-1658). Groenewegen was a wealthy burgher in Delft; in 1633 he lived in Het Gouden Hoofd (The Golden Head) on Voldersgracht number 1, just behind the Fish Market.

His works appear frequently in Delft inventories; Vermeer’s father dealt in his paintings.

He is possibly related to Pieter van Groenewegen II (1635-36-after 1665).

Landscape

This drawing is a folio of the Abrams Album (named after the donor) in the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Pieter Anthonisz. van Groenewegen, the Delft landscape artist, was clearly very much influenced by his youthful journey to Italy. After spending some years in Rome, he continued to paint Italian landscapes all his life. Since the Roman ruins he depicted are only vaguely similar to those on the Palatine Hill or in the Forum Romanum, one wonders whether he really drew or study them on the spot, as so many of his countrymen had done. No drawing by Groenewegen seems to have survived, apart from a contribution to the Abrams Album. This landscape, very characteristic of this artist, shows a view of the hilly Italian countryside, full of imaginary, impressive, classical remains. It was probably made several years after Groenewegen’s Italian journey.