Willem Wissing
Willem Wissing was a Dutch artist who lived from 1656 to 1687. Wissing specialized in portraits and spent most of his career working for the nobility in London, England.
Wissing was born in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. He received his art training at the Hague and Paris before moving to London in 1676. While in London, Wissing worked as an assistant to the Dutch portrait artist, Peter Lely, who was a favorite of the court. Wissing painted the background on Lely’s portraits. In 1680, Lely passed away unexpectedly. Wissing stepped up and fulfilled the role of portrait painter to the nobility. He soon became the court painter, painting for King James II and many members of various nobilities. James II even sent Wissing abroad to paint royal portraits.
The Dutch artist, Jan van der Vaart, worked as an assistant in Wissing’s studio. As Wissing did in his early career, Van der Vaart painted the backgrounds of Wissing’s portraits. Like Wissing with his mentor, van der Vaart took over Wissing’s portrait studio upon his untimely death.
Wissing’s work was very fashionable in his day. He was a favorite among the female nobility. Engravings on mezzotints made reproductions of his work accessible to the public which increased his popularity. Wissing used the same formula for many of his portraits, including the pose, clothing, and background. “Queen Anne, when Princess of Denmark” is nearly identical to his portrait of “Francis Thynne, Lady Worsley”. Both portraits were painted with his assistant, van der Vaart. Willem Wissing died in 1687 at just 31 years old. Some suspect he was poisoned by a jealous rival, though it remains a mystery.
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