Johannes Bronckhorst

Johannes Bronckhorst was the oldest of a triumvirate of important natural history artists from Hoorn, the others being his pupil Herman Henstenburgh, and the latter's son Anton.  Contemporary accounts record that all three were also pastry-bakers as well as artists, but what is less frequently described is Bronckhorst and his two followers artists defined Dutch natural history drawing of the period around 1700, standing as a crucial stylistic link between the generally more scientifically motivated drawings of the 17th Century, and the greater emphasis on decoration often seen in the works of subsequent generations.  For further information and examples of their works, see sale catalogue, The Unicorno Collection, Amsterdam, Sotheby's, 19 May 2004, pp. 132-147.