Antoon Claeissens (1536 - 1613)

• Was a Flemish painter.
• Antoon Claeissens was born in Bruges as the third son of Pieter Claeissens the Elder and Marie Meese.

• His father was a history painter and portraitist and his grandfather Alard Claeissens was also a painter.

• Antoon became a pupil of Pieter Pourbus.

• The Claeissens family workshop gained a monopolistic grip on official painting commissions in Bruges.

• Antoon left the family business possible starting from 1573 at the latest.

• In 1575 he entered the Bruges Guild of Saint Luke.

• Antoon was the Guild's dean in 1586, 1590, and 1601.

• He was the city painter of Bruges from 1570 to 1581, after which he was succeeded in this post by his brother Pieter.

• Antoon was responsible for works in the Saint Gillis Church and the Church of Our Lady.

• His son Pieter Antonius was dean of the Bruges Guild of St. Luke in 1607. 

• Antoon Claeissens painted historical and allegorical subjects, and portraits.

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