Abraham Hondius
Encyclopedia
Abraham Danielsz. Hondius (1625 - 1691) was a Dutch Golden Age
Dutch Golden Age
The Golden Age was a period in Dutch history, roughly spanning the 17th century, in which Dutch trade, science, military and art were among the most acclaimed in the world. The first half is characterised by the Eighty Years' War till 1648...

 painter known his depictions of animals. He was the son of a city stonemason, Daniel Abramsz de Hondt.

Hondius was born in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...

 and trained under Pieter de Bloot
Pieter de Bloot
Pieter de Bloot was a Dutch painter.De Bloot, who was born and died in Rotterdam, primarily painted landscapes and genre works, especially of countryside views and peasant subjects. He also periodically painted religious subjects. Between 1624 and 1630 de Bloot was married three times, since his...

 ( 1601 – 1658) and Cornelis Saftleven
Cornelis Saftleven
Cornelis Saftleven was a Dutch Golden Age painter.-Biography:He was born into a family of artists, and learned to paint from his father Herman, along with his brothers Abraham and Herman Saftleven the Younger...

. He lived in Rotterdam until 1659 and moved then to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...

. He moved to London] in 1666, where he spent the rest of his life. Hondius combined throughout his career several stylistic influences and struggled to develop a style of his own. He however specialised somehow in animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...

 pieces: more than two-thirds of his paintings, etching
Etching
Etching is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal...

s and drawings are hunting scenes, animals fighting and animal studies. He also executed landscapes, genre and religious scenes.

Hondius most likely moved to London] (where he later died) in 1666 where he spent the rest of his life. He painted views of London such as The Frost Fair on the Thames at Temple Stairs and London Bridge. His last known work is "Ape and Cat Fighting over Dead Poultry," dated 1690.
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