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| Flowers in a Metal Vase. |
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| Flowers in a Glass Vase. |
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Abraham Mignon or (Minjon; 21 June 1640, Frankfurt - 27 March 1679, Utrecht), German-born Dutch still life painter. Born into a strict Calvinist family who had immigrated to Germany for religious reasons, at nine years old he was placed in the care of Jacob Marrel, a specialist flower painter and art dealer. Soon he was nearly a partner in Marrel's business and in 1659 the two relocated to Utrecht, where Mignon became an assistant in the workshop of Jan Davidszoon de Heem. His own work soon became very sought after and was acquired by collectors of the highest rank; both the Elector of Saxony and Louis XIV owned his paintings. Always holding closely to his religious beliefs, though, in 1672 he was elected to the position of deacon of the Waalse Kerk (Walloon Church) of Utrecht, a position he held for five years. In 1675 he married Maria Willaerts who came from a family of painters. The information available is unclear, but the couple may have had six children, though only two daughters are listed as being alive at the the time of his own early death, at the age of thirty-nine.
His magnificent floral portraits remind me of Jan Davidszoon de Heem, but I am not sure how often Mignon was in Netherlands and Flanders, or how often Davidszoon de Heem was in Germany.
ReplyDeleteIn some of his works, his flowers dominate. But in other works, we can see fruit, vases, glasses, plates etc. Amazing.