A life between The Hague and London
Petrus Johannes van Bleeck began his life in The Hague, where he was baptized on 25 June 1697. He grew up in a house shaped by the presence of his father, Richard van Bleeck, who worked as a portrait painter. This early exposure to the quiet work of the studio likely informed the way Peter approached his own subjects. In 1723, he moved to London, a change that brought him into contact with a different kind of light and a new circle of people.
His time in England was marked by a steady presence in the city's artistic circles. He eventually married Alice Cony at St Paul's Cathedral in 1745. While his personal life remained relatively private, his professional reach extended to the faces of the London stage and the local aristocracy. He lived in London until his death on 20 July 1764, and was laid to rest in the Old St. Pancras Churchyard.
Theatrical subjects and engraved lines
Much of what remains of his work involves the faces of actors and figures from the theater. He had a particular interest in capturing individuals like Owen Swiny, Kitty Clive, and Margaret Woffington. These were not merely portraits; they often captured characters in specific roles, such as Benjamin Griffin appearing as Tribulatio in Ben Jonson's The Alchemist. His ability to translate the drama of the stage onto a flat surface relied on both his brush and his tools for engraving.
He worked frequently with mezzotint, a technique that allowed for deep shadows and soft transitions. This method was often used to create hand-coloured prints that could be shared more widely than an oil painting. Many of these works were engraved by others, such as John Faber the Younger, which helped spread his depictions of theatrical life throughout London. His hands also worked on engravings of existing portraits, including a piece of Ellen "Nell" Gwynne originally painted by Sir Peter Lely.
Technique and subjects
The work shows a focus on specific textures and the way light hits a face or a piece of fabric. Whether working in oil on canvas or through the medium of mezzotint, he looked closely at his sitters. His subjects ranged from the famous to the more personal:
- Theatrical figures: Kitty Clive as Phillida and Susannah Maria Cibber as Cordelia.
- Notable individuals: James Foster and Maria Theresa.
- Engraved works: Portraits of his father, Richard van Bleeck, and various characters from Ben Jonson's plays.
His approach to portraiture was grounded in the physical reality of his subjects. He used light and shadow to define features, a method that gave his prints a sense of weight. Through these small, detailed works, he documented a specific moment in the London art scene, capturing the likenesses of those who occupied the spotlight of the eighteenth-century stage.
