Frans Pourbus the Younger (1569–1622) was a Flemish painter, son of Frans Pourbus the Elder and grandson of Pieter Pourbus. He was born in Antwerp and died in Paris. He is also referred to as "Frans II".

Frans Pourbus the Younger
Detail from Charles d'Arenberg and Anne de Croy with family, possibly a self portrait of the painter
Born	Frans Pourbus c. 1569 Antwerp
Died	19 February 1622(1622-02-19) (aged 53) Paris
Nationality	Flemish
Known for	Portrait
Patron(s)	Archduke Albert and the Infanta Isabella; Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua; Marie de Médici

Pourbus worked for many of the highly influential people of his day, including the Brussels-based Spanish Regents of the Netherlands, the Duke of Mantua and Marie de' Medici, Queen of France. Works of his can be found in the Royal Collection, the National Museum in Warsaw, the Louvre, the Prado, the Rijksmuseum, the Royal College of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and many other museums.[1][2]

Style

Pourbus was best known for portraits, but created some history paintings. He produced portraits that were pleasing to his patrons, but rarely providing his works with dramatic situations, or even landscape backgrounds.[3] He is noted for his depiction of costume, jewellery and draperies, as in his portrait of Henry IV of France (below).[4][5]

Patronage

Pourbus completed his apprenticeship in Antwerp in 1591.[6] At the end of the 16th century, he worked for Archduke Albert and the Infanta Isabella in Brussels.[5] On 27 June 1600, he was paid for a portrait of the Infanta (see below). This was subsequently presented to Anne of Denmark (wife of James VI and I) by the Ambassador of the Spanish Netherlands and this work remains in the Royal Collection.[2]

In 1600, he was recruited as court painter in Mantua by Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua who met him when Gonzaga was on a visit to the Netherlands buying works of art.[7] Within months of his appointment, Peter Paul Rubens arrived at the Mantuan court, but there is no evidence of hostility between the two.[3] In 1609, Pourbus moved to Paris at the instigation of Marie de Médici (see her portrait below).[5] It was here that he perfected his style.[4] He worked as Marie de Médici's court painter until his death.

• Pourbus is noted for his depiction of costume, jewellery and draperies.
• 
  Portrait of a man
• 
  Henry IV of France
• 
  Infanta Isabella
• 
  Marie de' Medici

Death

He died in Paris and was buried on 19 February 1621/2.[5] The exact date of his death is unknown.

The "Anne Boleyn" portrait

Among his works is a portrait of an Italian lady in the Pinacoteca Malaspina, Pavia that has been incorrectly identified as Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII of England (see below).[8] This identification is a result of a later inscription.[9] The portrait was in any case painted some years after Anne Boleyn's death in 1536.

Other examples of his work

• 
  Portrait of an Italian lady (incorrectly described as Anne Boleyn)
• 
  Louis XIII, King of France (with the Sash and Badge of the Order of Saint Esprit)
• 
  Albert of Austria
• 
  A man aged 32
• 
  Vincenzo Gonzaga Duke of Mantua
• 
  Councilors of Paris
• 
  Margarita Gonzaga
• 
  Anne of Austria
• 
  Louis XIII of France
• 
  Marie de' Medici
• 
  Marie de' Medici
• 
  Isabella Clara Eugenia
• 
  Philip III of Spain, 1599–1601, The Phoebus Foundation
• 
  Margaretha of Austria, 1599–1601, The Phoebus Foundation
• 
  Portrait of a humanist (Justus Lipsius?), 1595, The Phoebus Foundation

References

External links

• 20 artworks by or after Frans Pourbus the Younger at the Art UK site

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Frans Pourbus (II).

На других языках

[es] Frans Pourbus el Joven

[fr] Frans Pourbus le Jeune

[it] Frans Pourbus il Giovane

[ru] Пурбус, Франс Младший