H9 4
1607
16 10(')
1 6f7(!)
CLARA PEETERS
B()rn in Anre".,.pPai"IT Jim
rmm/,d pim,uPainlf "Ii-portrait
\ '.ni.osj)j" in Ann::",
T:>I.I" With ~ Pie. G:>ttoe "nd ali".,,; (;:.16/ /)
P"urr' ",,,,* dralop,d rwriaahJy from 1m-'IITI'",. C<lllliol<J/y !n1diriiklai
c(Jmp"riri(JrIJ, ,,,,,,,ud from a high t'Il1I!a§ point, to ,lahol7lu
"rrang''"'"'' IiI:< rbi, _. 711, t'll1I!ag' point j, /",;:" and a ,<i<crion of
itIXtlri(JUJ jw", II'"' pmad "" a mi"""/y «wild bY""uk UlbhdiJIb, aU
"' agai"" a dark hlXl:grGlUld for maxim"'" 11mT
he ,en" 'still [ill::' had no. btto
imuu,,[ whm Cia" ]'<'t:.crs' carttr
began. I kr 'l'pc of picture was
grncraliy <:illcd • 'hrcakf." pice'" ("nrbijtj')
he""u.., it depic,,,[ bread .nd fruit. More
dal>o"'tc H"ngm",nts of food .nd drinl
qrnlifi .. [ as 1 hanhrj, (bmquct).
]'cctc",' p,inting. arC highly s killed.
b""Ulifully finished and of 1,;zc ,h., dmlands
prominent <~sl~'Y' All <"Vid"m::,<; I'(~nts to her 2S
a l'.-ofL"<Sin"al arti" with wcalthy dil:n", and
thl: only "1emi,h woman nJ ha,'e ,pccialiu:d So
carly in ,hi. gcn"'. Shl: kft m'er thirty w(His,
sign<,1 and da,cd oowt"n 1607 and 161L
induding a .df_port,ai" iiwi,as, p,in''''
around 1610.
Y("t, wI: know almo" nothing abou, Pc<~ersperSonally. 11<1" binh "rcc'l<,""1 in An,werp in
1594 but the time and I~ace of her dc:t,h "'main
a 1l1J"Stcl)'. Shc is said to I.",c left a I,;Cturl:
da,,,1 1657, which would be thl: Ia'est da,e ~"
her, bu, it is 10'" Nor docs her nalllc al" car on
anJ' guild T(~ls, although women had J,een
li"ed,in"" 1602.
It may S<"t:m iml"ol"ble tha' a girl of thint"n
",uld ha", p"in",d so cxpe rtl y, bu, Angelic.
K.oulTm:.onn """Jml~ishcd her firSt ". nll.;,".ion
a' ,he agl: of twe"e. The 1607 I,;c,url: is ,
wedding pi<"e: 'he green h,,,kcmL")'cr and
H_""("ti'n wi"" gI,",s "'I"ese," hu,b'nd and "ife:
a gold ring lie, near" lit candlc: sprig< of
",,,-,,,ary signify fidelity. It would h"'1: 1 .,"'d,,1
1'""",rS with a ch'nning dehut and 'he idcal
l~a'~Jnn ~JT he, amning ,kiU.