Jacob Jordaens

Flemish·1593–1678

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Flemish Baroque painter Jacob Jordaens (1593-1678) was one of three artists, alongside Rubens and Van Dyck, who brought prestige to the Antwerp school. Born the first of eleven children to a wealthy linen merchant, he studied under Adam van Noort and married his master's daughter in 1616. Unlike his contemporaries, he never traveled to Italy, remaining in Antwerp his entire life except for brief trips within the Low Countries.

Jordaens is best known for large-scale genre scenes such as The King Drinks (Feast of the Bean King) and As the Old Sing, So Pipe the Young, depicting boisterous Flemish celebrations with earthy humor. He also painted mythological, allegorical, and biblical scenes. After Rubens's death in 1640, he was considered Antwerp's greatest painter, receiving commissions from King Charles I of England, Queen Christina of Sweden, and the Dutch stadtholder. He converted to Calvinism in 1648 but continued accepting Catholic church commissions. In 1652, he decorated the Huis ten Bosch near The Hague. His works hang at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Hermitage, and Museo del Prado.

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About Jacob Jordaens

Jordaens was a leading Flemish Baroque painter, alongside Rubens and Van Dyck, known for vigorous compositions, earthy humor, and abundant figures. Born in Antwerp in 1593, he developed a more boisterous, popular style than his aristocratic contemporaries, often depicting rowdy banquets and proverbs.

Major works are at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, and the Museo del Prado. His group compositions, often featuring dozens of figures, require large galleries to display effectively.

The King Drinks and As the Old Sing, So Pipe the Young are his best-known works, depicting boisterous Flemish celebrations with abundant food, drink, and multigenerational revelry. He painted multiple versions of both subjects, reflecting their popularity with collectors who enjoyed his crowded, lively scenes.

After Rubens's death in 1640, Jordaens was considered Antwerp's greatest living painter. Unlike Rubens, he never traveled to Italy, developing his style entirely in the Low Countries. His earthier approach appealed to middle-class patrons while Rubens served royalty.

Unlike other major painters of his era, Jordaens never traveled to Italy, remaining in Antwerp his entire life except for brief trips within the Low Countries. He converted to Protestantism around 1655 but continued receiving Catholic commissions. He worked until his death at 85 in 1678.

Jacob Jordaens

Notable Works by Jacob Jordaens

Christ Comes as a Gardener to Three Marys

The King Drinks

The Daughters of Cecrops finding the child Erichthonius

The Apotheosis of Aeneas

The Apostles, St. Paul and St. Barnabas at Lystra

Suffer the Little Children to Come Unto Me

Self-Portrait

Return of the Holy Family from Egypt

Portrait of Jordaens family

Holy Family with Elizabeth and Child John the Baptist

Museums with Jacob Jordaens's Work

State Hermitage Museum

Gemäldegalerie, Berlin

Alte Pinakothek

Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis, MO

Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium

National Gallery of Denmark (Statens Museum for Kunst), Copenhagen

Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp

About Jacob Jordaens

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