Dutch1622–1654
Carel Fabritius
A Dutch painter who trained in Rembrandt's Amsterdam studio in the early 1640s and was the only one of his pupils to find a wholly different style, setting figures against pale, daylit backgrounds. He settled in Delft, where his handling of light influenced Pieter de Hooch and Johannes Vermeer. He was killed at 32 when the town's gunpowder store exploded in 1654, and only about a dozen of his paintings survive.
A life in paintings
- 1622Born
- 1641Studied with Rembrandt van RijnAmsterdam
Fabritius trained in Rembrandt's Amsterdam studio in the early 1640s, alongside his brother Barent. He became the only one of Rembrandt's pupils to develop a style entirely his own, setting lit figures against light backgrounds where Rembrandt used dark ones.
Source: Britannica - 1652Influenced Johannes VermeerDelft
Fabritius settled in Delft around 1650 and joined its painters' guild in 1652. Unlike his teacher Rembrandt, he set figures against light backgrounds and studied the subtleties of daylight, and Britannica credits him with influencing both Pieter de Hooch and Johannes Vermeer. The once-popular idea that Vermeer was his pupil has no hard evidence.
Source: BritannicaInfluenced Pieter de HoochDelftFabritius settled in Delft around 1650 and joined its painters' guild in 1652. Unlike his teacher Rembrandt, he set figures against light backgrounds and studied the subtleties of daylight, and Britannica credits him with influencing both Pieter de Hooch and Johannes Vermeer. The once-popular idea that Vermeer was his pupil has no hard evidence.
Source: Britannica - 1654The Delft Thunderclap
Killed at 32 when the blast brings down his studio. Most of his work is lost with him.
Died
Circles
Society · Delft · 1611
Delft Guild of Saint Luke
The painters' guild of Delft. Fabritius joined in 1652, Vermeer on 29 December 1653 and de Hooch in 1655; Vermeer was elected its head in 1662 and three more times. Sources: Wikipedia articles on Vermeer, Fabritius and de Hooch.
Where to see them
Mauritshuis
The Hague
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