Guillam Forchondt the Elder

Willem Forchondt, or Guillam Forchondt the Elder (1608–1678) was a Flemish painter, cabinet maker and art dealer. His international art dealership played an important role in the spread of Flemish Baroque art in Europe and South-America. He changed the relationship between art dealer and artist by becoming himself involved in the organisation of the art production process.

He was born in Antwerp as the son of the ebony worker and art dealer Melchior Forchondt the Elder, originally from Breslau, and the brother of Melchior the Younger. Melchior the Elder made his name dealing in ebony cabinets that were decorated with oil paintings, that he commissioned from members of the Antwerp Guild of St. Luke.

Young Guillam grew up in this artistic milieu and became a member of the guild in 1632 as "winemaster", which meant his father was still a member at the time. Like his father he was also skilled as a maker of cabinets. When his father died in 1633 Guillam took over the business. He married Maria Lemmens on 3 August 1636. The couple had 8 children among whom are known:

With the help of this network of family connections in Europe Forchondt was able to turn his father's business into an international art and luxury goods enterprise. The many clients of the Forchondt firm included prominent personalities of the time such as the Emperor of Austria and the Princes of Liechtenstein. Around 1700 Hans-Adam I, Prince of Liechtenstein acquired from the Forchondt firm two masterpieces of Rubens: the Massacre of the Innocents and Samson and Delilah.

Guillam Forchondt died in Antwerp.

As a painter Forchondt worked in the Flemish Baroque style of Rubens, Jan Brueghel the Younger, Joos de Momper and David Teniers the Younger clearly adapting his output to the demand in the market. Many of his works can be regarded as pastiches or reduced copies of works by Rubens. He is known to have collaborated on compositions with other painters such as Willem van Herp who painted the staffage. Forchondt enjoyed a high reputation for his design drawings for cabinets.

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