Adriaen de Bie

De Bie was born in Lier. His son Cornelis de Bie reports that he studied painting in Antwerp under the artist Wouter Abts. This information is not confirmed by the Liggeren, the records of Antwerp's Guild of Saint Luke. In 1611 he travelled to Paris where he lived for two years with his teacher the Flemish painter Rudolph Schoof, who was court painter of Louis XIII. He then spent three years visiting important Italian cities. His patrons included Cardinals, for whom he made paintings on panel as well as on precious metals such as gold and silver plates and on porphyry and jasper. He returned to Lier in 1623. He painted portraits and decorations for the St. Gummarus church above the altar of St. Eligius, the patron saint of goldsmiths. He died in Lier on 20 October 1668. ==Work==

Very few of Adriaen de Bie's works have survived. He painted in Rome small cabinet pieces, a type of painting for which there was a great demand in Rome at the beginning of the 17th century. It is possible that Adriaen de Bie's choice of support and size was influenced by Adam Elsheimer who was successful in Rome with small cabinet pieces. This type of work is likely indicative for a side-line he pursued during the three decades he spent in Lier after his return from Italy. ==References==