Robert van Audenaerde (1663 - 1743)

Robert van Audenaerde

Robert van Audenaerde or Ouden-Aerd was a Flemish painter and engraver. He was first a scholar of Francis van Mierhop, but he afterwards studied under Hans van Cleef. When he was twenty-two years of age he went to Rome, where he became a disciple of Carlo Maratti. Under this master he became a good painter of historical subjects. He amused himself with the point in his leisure moments, and some of his plates were shown to Carlo Maratti, who recommended him to devote himself entirely to the art of engraving. He, however, painted several pictures for the churches of his native city, to which he returned after an absence, it is said, of thirty-seven years. The plates which he executed entirely with the graver are not considered equal to those in which he introduced the point. His drawing shows a perfect acquaintance with the human figure, and is very correct. The principal part of his prints are after the pictures of Carlo Maratti.

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