ANDRIESSEN, Hendrick - b. 1607 Antwerpen, d. 1655 Antwerpen

Flemish painter. He joined the guild in Antwerp in 1637 as a pupil. He is known mainly as a still-life painter, and his still-life paintings mostly fall into the category of Vanitas.

There must be a connection between Andriessen and Pieter van der Willigen (1635-1694), given the identical objects in signed works of both; possibly van der Willigen took over Andriessen’s studio after his death in 1655, which implies that Andriessen died in Antwerp. Many paintings formerly attributed to van der Willigen have since been reassigned to Andriessen.

Vanitas Still-Life

Hendrick Andriessen’s vanitas still-lifes with death’s-heads were rather exceptional for Antwerp, but they are clearly related to the similar pictures which were produced at about the same time in the Northern Netherlands.

This painting represents a vanitas still-life with human skull, globe, books, crown, miter, bubbles, mussel shell with bubble pipe, holly crown on skull, watch on table, candlestick (with reflection of artist’s portrait). It is signed on the letter: H. Andriessen.