Gent 1584 – 1632 Zoeterwoude

In the seventeenth century, Jan Porcellis was one of the most famous marine painters in Holland. In 1678 he received the greatest praise a painter can receive from Samuel van Hoogstraten. This painter called Porcellis “Dien grooten Raphel in ‘t zeeschilderen”
Constantijn Huygens considered Porcellis higher than Vroom. Samuel Ampzing wrote as early as 1628 that Jan Porcellis rightly had the reputation of being the greatest marine painter of his time.

Porcellis was born in Ghent around 1580-84. In 1584, the Duke of Parma conquered this city and the Porcellis family fled with little John. According to the city biographer of Rotterdam, the family settled in the city on the Maas. He formulated it that Rotterdam had produced for first Persellus, the most important Ship and Water-Painter. In 1605 Jan Porcellis marries in Rotterdam and gives Ghent as his place of birth. Whether Jan is then a painter and where he has been apprenticed remains guesswork. 

In fact, it is only possible to say something with certainty about the last 15 years of Jan’s painting career. The years before this remain unclear in terms of work. There are two works in Hampton Court Palace from before 1612 that are attributed to him and there is a document from Antwerp where he is commissioned to produce various paintings for a fee. In 1617 he became a master in the guild of Antwerp, where he made a name for himself with turbulent waters. From 1622 he lived for some time in Haarlem where he further developed in this direction. Porcellis’ focus was on the atmosphere, water and air, which are shaped and expressed by the changeable, often stormy weather. For the first time, this was treated as an independent subject. It was not about the naval battle or the ship’s portrait, but about nature. The simplicity of his ‘greys’ works painted grey in grey was already highly appreciated at the time. It differed from the older generation who advocated more of a colorful use. Porcellis thus set in motion a movement that led to more monochrome paintings, not only in marine painting but also in landscapes such as those of Jan van Goyen and also in still lifes, the monochrome banquets.

Jan moved a lot and could be found in Amsterdam in 1624 and in Voorburg near The Hague in 1626. He spent a lot of time in Zoeterwoude and earned well with his paintings. He bought land and real estate from an inheritance. In the meantime he had remarried and when he died in 1632 his wife inherited everything. The children from his first marriage each received 400 guilders and son Julius Porcellis also inherited his father’s workshop and paintings. 

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