Wallerant Vaillant (30 May 1623 – 28 August 1677) was a
painter of the Dutch Golden Age and one of the first artists to use the
mezzotint technique, which he probably helped to develop.
Family
Wallerant Vaillant was born in
Lille, the oldest of five brothers who all became successful painters.
Jacques (1625–1691) traveled to Italy where he joined the
Bentvueghels in
Rome with the nickname Leeuwrik, and settled later in
Berlin.
Jan (1627–1668+) was an engraver considered to be a member of the school of Frankenthal[1] and later became a merchant in
Frankfurt.
Bernard (1632–1698) accompanied Wallerant on all of his travels, and settled later in
Rotterdam, where he became deacon of the Wallonian Church.
Andreas (1655–1693), the youngest, became an engraver in
Paris, and died in Berlin visiting his brother Jacques.
Education and career
It is said Wallerant was a student of
Erasmus Quellinus II (1607–1678) in
Antwerp. He moved with his parents in 1643 to Amsterdam. In 1647 he lived in
Middelburg, but in 1649 he was back in
Amsterdam. In 1658 he traveled with his brother to
Frankfurt and
Heidelberg. He helped invent the Mezzotint technique (schraapkunst, or zwartekunst) with
Prince Rupert of the Rhine when he was his tutor performing experiments in etching techniques.
Petra Zelenková, Wallerant Vaillant. Master of Mezzotint / Wallerant Vaillant. Mistr mezzotinty, National Gallery Prague 2018, 32 pp., ISBN 978-80-7035-682-1.