NOTICE

OF

ALEXANDRE VAROTARI.

Alexandre Varotari was born at Padoue, in 1590, on which account they gave him the name of Padouanino. The short life of his father was the hindrance of his not imparting much knowledge of his art to his son, as he died in 1596; but the remembrance of fatherly advice, and the sight of some master-pieces determined the vocation of young Varotari. Several copies which he took from the pictures of Titien, were greatly admired by connaisseurs, which made him resolve to set out for Venise, in order to continue his study of painting. His works have been often preferred to those of the best pupils of Titien.

His pictures are scarcely to be met with but at Padoue and Venise, where is to be seen at the Academy of the latter town, a great picture of the Wedding of Cana, looked upon as a master-piece.

He died in 1650, leaving a considerable inheritance.

SUR

PIERRE ET JEAN, DITS BREUGHEL.

Pierre naquit en 1510 à Breughel, près de Breda, et le nom de son village devint celui de sa famille.

Il est quelquefois désigné sous le nom de Breughel l'Ancien, ou le Vieux, pour le distinguer de son fils aîné Pierre Breughel; mais il est plus connu encore sous celui de Pierre le Drôle, parce que dans ses tableaux il a traité habituellement des scènes gaies, dans le genre de Jérôme Bosch.

Pierre voyagea en France et en Italie où il resta longtemps; il était encore à Rome en 1553; revint à Anvers, et aimait à se mêler dans les noces de village où il trouvait souvent le sujet de ses tableaux. On cite surtout de lui une scène burlesque représentant une dispute entre le Carême et le Carnaval. Pierre épousa assez tard la fille de son maître Kock, et vint résider à Bruxelles. Il mourut en 1590.

Pierre Breughel, dit le Jeune, était le fils aîné de Pierre l'Ancien. On lui a donné le sobriquet de Breughel d'Enfer, parce qu'il a peint fréquemment des incendies.

Jean Breughel, second fils de Pierre l'Ancien naquit à Bruxelles vers 1589. Il est connu sous le nom de Breughel de Velours, parce que son goût pour la toilette l'engagea à porter des vêtemens de cette étoffe. Son père étant mort, il fut élevé chez sa grand-mère Van Aelst, et devint l'élève de Goe-Kindt.

Jean Breughel passa quelque temps à Cologne, avant d'aller en Italie, où il resta long-temps, et s'adonna principalement à peindre des paysages, dans lesquelles il plaçait de petites figures touchées avec finesse. Il mourut en 1642.

NOTICE

OF

PIERRE AND JEAN ALIAS BREUGHEL.

Pierre was born in 1510 at Breughel, near Breda, the name of his village became that of his family.

He is sometimes called by the name of Breughel the ancient or the old, to distinguish him from his eldest son Pierre Breughel, but he is yet better known by that of Pierre le drôle (comical), on account of his usual way of placing merry scenes in his pictures in the kind of Jerome Bosch.

Pierre travelled in France and Italy where he remained for a long time, and was still at Rome in 1553. He afterwards came to Anvers and was very fond of being at village weddings whence he often drew the subject of his pictures. He is said to have represented a jocose scene of dispute between Lent and Carnival. In his latter years Pierre married the daughter of his master Kock, and went to live at Bruxelles. He died in 1590.

Pierre Breughel said the young was the eldest son of Pierre the ancient. The nickname of Breughel d'enfer (Hell) was given to him from his frequently painting conflagrations.

Jean Breughel, the second son of Pierre the ancient was born at Bruxelles about 1589. He is known by the name of Breughel de velours (velvet) because of his taste for dress inducing him to wear clothes of that stuff. His father being dead, he was brought up by his grand-mother Van Aelst, and became the pupil of Goe-Kindt.

Jean Breughel spent some time at Cologne before he went to Italy where he resided a long while, giving himself up chiefly to the painting of landscapes, in which he placed little figures nicely and finely drawn. He died in 1642.

NOTICE

SUR

THIERY VAN BERGEN.

Thiéry Van Bergen, naquit à Breda vers 1670. On le croit élève de Adrien Vande Velde, et probablement il voyagea en Italie; c'est du moins ce que doit faire penser la manière dont il composa ses paysages, mais on ne connaît aucune des particularités de sa vie, et ses tableaux ne sont pas communs.

Van Bergen mourut à Breda, on ne sait dans quelle année. Quelques personnes le nomment Théodore et non pas Thieri, mais cette différence apparente n'en est réellement pas une. Le nom grec de Théodore est devenu Théodoric, dans la langue des Goths. En passant du Nord au Midi de l'Europe ce nom variant de finale est devenu Théodorico en Italie, et Théodörigo en Espagnol. La longueur des noms propres étant incommode, Théodorigo, par une élision et un remplacement faciles à comprendre, est devenu Rodrigo.

Pendant qu'une des langues du Midi,faisait opérer des variations au nom de Théodore et en gardait seulement la terminaison, les peuples septentrionaux faisaient opérer d'autres changemens au même nom : en conservant les initiales, ils rouvaient le nom de Thiéri dans celui de Théodoric. Puis les Allemands et les Flamands,pour qui la lettre D a la même valeur que la lettre T, y trouvèrent le nom de Dire ou Dirch.

Ces observations pourront peut-être trouver des contradicteurs ; mais, avant de se prononcer, qu'ils veulent bien faire attention à la variété continuelle des noms propres, et sans s'appuyer sur celui de Marguerite, dont on a fait Margoton et Goton, n'avons-nous pas le nom Joannes devenu Hans en allemand, John en anglais, Jean en français et Ivan en russe.

NOTICE

OF

THIERY VAN BERGHEN.

Thiéry Van Berghen was born at Breda, about 1670. He is believed to be the pupil of Adrien Vande Velde, and likely he travelled into Italy; it is at least what one should think after his manner of composing his landscapes, but hîs pictures are not often to be met with, and nobody is acquainted with the particularities of his life.

Van Berghen died at Breda, in which year, it is unknown. Some name him Théodore and not Thiéry, but this seeming difference is really not one, the greek name Théodore is become Théodoric in the language of the Goths. In going from the north to the south of Europe this name changing in the final is become Théodorico in Italy, and Théodorigo in Spanish. The length of proper names being wearisome, Théodorigo by an elision and a replacing easily to be comprehended is become Rodrigo.

Whils tone of the languages of the south caused this operation in the alterations of the name Théodore by keeping only the termination, the northern people altered the same name in another way by keeping to the initial, they found the name of Thiéri in that of Théodoric. The Germans and the Flemish for whom the letter D is just the same as the letter T found in it the name of Dirc or Dirch.

These observations may perhaps find opposers, but before they pronounce, let them pay attention to the continual variety of proper names, and without treating on that of Marguerite which is now changed into Margoton and Goton; havewe not the name Joannes turned Hans in german, John in english, Jean in french, and Ivan in russian.