Victor Wolfvoet (II)

Victor Wolfvoet the Younger was born in Antwerp as the son of Victor Wolfvoet the Elder, a painter and art dealer, and Brigitta Voorwercx. His father was most likely his teacher. He became a member of the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke around 1644–5. Some sources refer to Wolfvoet as a pupil of Rubens. He married in 1636. His 1652 will, which he made not long before his death, states that he was the widower of Elisabeth Mertens. The artist's estate comprised a substantial collection of artworks of seven hundred items. The inventory of his estate lists twenty sketches by Rubens, including several designs for the ceilings of the Carolus Borromeus Church in Antwerp and six bozzetti for the Triumph of the Eucharist tapestry series. There are also sketches by other artists, many unattributed sketches and framed grisailles, and several sketches after Rubens. Some of the sketches were likely in Wolfvoet's hand, like his copies after Rubens' Abraham and Melchizedek and Manna from Heaven both now in the Mauritshuis, The Hague. The large collection of works has been regarded as evidence that the artist may also have been active as an art dealer. ==Work==

Wolfvoet was active as an art dealer, became an artist rather late in life, and died relatively young. This explains his fairly limited output. Although there is no evidence that Wolfvoet studied under Rubens, he is considered one of the most faithful followers of that artist. Examples are two copper paintings relating to the theme of the War between War and Peace (private collections) and an oil on canvas of Hercules and Minerva Expelling Mars (Hermitage Museum) (of which there also exists a copy on copper). In the first two copper paintings, he used a palette similar to that of Rubens and achieved a harmony of tone with space, which he had learned from Rubens. ==References==