AP

Adam Pynacker (1622-1673). His mother belonged to the prominent Graswinckel family from Delft.

Three Italian years 1645-1648, where he joined the Schildersbent or 'Bentveughel' circle in Rome. Landscape painter in the Italian manner, following Jan Both and Jan Asselijn. Also active as a merchant.

Houbraken stresses the wonderful wall-size room paintings made by Pijnacker, works in a style which were just going out of fashion in Houbraken's time, being rolled up and moved to attics to rot away.

Afterwards Adam lived in Schiedam, assisting his father in the shipping and wine trade, but Adam was also active in circles of Delft artists c. 1649-1651, notably with the art dealer, wine merchant and innkeeper Adam Pick. Stayed with family members in Delft, address unknown. May have staid in 'De Toelast', an inn belonging to Adam Pick. As painting was not his first profession he was not registered in the Delft Guild. Adam Pynacker inherited property from the Delft Grimani family in 1669.

Note. GAD Beydals collection gives birth as "13 February 1622 in Pynacker", and All the paintings of the Rijksmuseum p. 458 agrees on 1622, whereas Harwood Pynacker, 1988, states c. 1620. GAD, Huizenprotocol 1650-1850. Harwood, Pynacker, 1988, 15; see also footnote 14; documents 18-22. See Harwood, Pynacker, p. 16 on the painting profession. Montias (1993) p. 157 mentions Schiedam. RKD, Bredius archive, artist folder quotes a document in which the widow Margaretha Huybrechts Grimani bequeaths all money to Adam Pynacker (28 June 1669, Not. J. Van Veen). Arnold Houbraken, De groote Schouburgh der Nederlantsche Konstschilders en Schilderessen, The Hague 1752 [2nd ed.] Book 2, page 96.

Biography in From Rembrandt to Vermeer, Grove Dictionary of Art paperback, p. 259. See discussions in exh.cat. 'Vermeer and the Delft School', Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, 2001, p. 89.

Above: Painting in the coll. Akademie der Bildenden Kunst, Wien / Vienna.

Below: Landscape with Mountains, and Boats by a Lake, c. 1666. Coll Otto Naumann.

This page forms part of a large encyclopedic site on Delft. Research by Drs. Kees Kaldenbach (email). A full presentation is on view at johannesvermeer.info.

Launched 16 February 2001; Last update March 1, 2017. More info in the RKD site.