Pieter Fransz. Isaacsz

Place: Helsingør

Death: 1625

Biography:

Pieter Isaacsz (ca 1569, Helsingør – 14 September 1625) was a Danish court and portrait painter from Dutch origin who worked in a mannerist style on historical, biblical and mythological subjects. He was also a tapestry designer and art-dealer who spied for both the Netherlands, Denmark, and, eventually, for Sweden. Pieter was the son of Helena Backer (also known as Heyltje Roelofs) and Isaac Pietersz, a merchant from Haarlem who first supplied the Danish court and was then appointed as a courtier. Pieter Isaacsz is remembered as one of the first artists who placed the model freely in a landscape. His pupils were Hendrick Avercamp and Huijgh Pietersz. Voskuijl. His most popular works are Amsterdam as the Centre of World Trade, Pieter Isaacsz., c. 1604 - c. 1607 and Portrait of Frederick (III) and Ulrik, Princes of Denmark and Norway, Pieter Isaacsz., c. 1614. Pieter owned a copy of a tronie of Titian by Dirck Barendsz, painted several schuttersstukken with many locals from Dutch Golden Age. Twice he visited Denmark as a young man and later as a court painter for King Christian IV. Pieter Isaacsz is also known for his role as a spy for the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden.