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Martin Ryckaert


Martin Ryckaert, also Maerten or Marten Rijckaert (baptised 8 December 1587, Antwerp – 11 October 1631) was a Flemish painter who was known for his small, usually imaginary landscapes in an Italianate style.

Martin Ryckaert was a member of the Ryckaert (or Rijckaert) family of artists, Martin was the son of David Ryckaert I, the younger brother of David Ryckaert II, and the uncle of David Ryckaert III. As the result of a birth defect or because of an accident, he had only one arm.

Martin probably first studied with his father and was later a pupil of Tobias Verhaecht (or Verhaeght). Verhaecht was also Peter Paul Rubens’s teacher for a brief period. Martin became a member of the Antwerp Guild of St. Luke in 1607.

It is believed he traveled to Italy between 1607 and 1610 although no documentary evidence of this trip has been found. It is believed that during his stay in Italy he practised plein air sketching. Martin rejoined the Antwerp Guild of St. Luke in 1611 and was registered as the "painter with one arm". He spent the remainder of his professional career in his native city. He was active in the local Chamber of rhetoric De Violieren. He never married and collected many paintings by his contemporaries in his house in the Meyerstraat in Antwerp.

He was reportedly a close friend of Anthony van Dyck, who painted his portrait showing Ryckaert dressed up as a king around 1630. This portrait was in the possession of Martin Ryckaert when he died and is today in the Prado in Madrid. The portrait was engraved by Jacob Neefs and then included in van Dyck's book project entitled "Iconography" which contained portraits of famous people of that time.


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