Robert Griffier stands as an intriguing figure in the transition between Dutch Golden Age landscape painting and the developing tastes of 18th-century Britain. Born in London in 1688 and active until around 1750, he was the son of a renowned artist, Jan Griffier the Elder, and carved out his own niche painting detailed landscapes, river views, and imaginative scenes that found favour in both the Netherlands and England. His life and work bridge these two important artistic centres, reflecting the cross-currents of style and patronage during his time.
Early Life and Paternal Influence
Robert Griffier was born into an artistic dynasty in London. His father, Jan Griffier the Elder (c. 1652–1718), was a successful Dutch landscape painter who had moved to England, possibly after the Great Fire of London in 1666, and built a strong reputation there. Jan the Elder was known for his meticulously detailed views, often depicting the River Thames or imaginary Rhine landscapes, frequently painted on copper, a technique demanding great precision. He had studied with notable artists like the landscape painter Roelant Roghman and was influenced by the popular Italianate landscapes and the detailed style of painters like Herman Saftleven.
It was within this environment that Robert grew up and inevitably received his initial artistic training. He absorbed his father's techniques and thematic preferences, focusing primarily on landscape and marine subjects. In his early career, Robert's style was reportedly so close to his father's that distinguishing between their works from this period can be challenging for art historians. This suggests a close working relationship, possibly within a family workshop structure, where Robert honed his skills by emulating and assisting his successful father.
This initial dependence on his father's style highlights a common path for artists born into established workshops. Robert learned the foundations of landscape painting, including the careful rendering of water, foliage, architecture, and atmospheric effects that characterized his father's output. The detailed approach, often associated with Dutch 'fijnschilder' (fine painting) traditions, became a hallmark of Robert's own work throughout his career.
A Career Between London and Amsterdam
While Robert began his artistic life in London, the city of his birth, he did not remain there exclusively. At some point, likely after establishing his initial skills, he relocated to Amsterdam, a major centre for art production and trade in the Netherlands. This move placed him back in the heartland of the landscape tradition his father hailed from, exposing him to the ongoing developments in Dutch art and potentially offering new sources of patronage and inspiration.
Griffier lived and worked in Amsterdam for a significant number of years. During this period, he continued to develop his landscape painting, often favouring views along rivers, populated with small figures and meticulously rendered boats. These scenes carried on the tradition popularized by his father but began to show Robert's own evolving sensibility. Some accounts suggest his works possess a quieter, perhaps more melancholic atmosphere compared to the often bustling scenes of Jan Griffier I.
Later in his life, Robert Griffier returned to London. This return migration mirrors his father's own back-and-forth journeys between England and the Netherlands. By settling back in London during his mature years, Robert re-engaged with the British art market. It was during this later phase, according to some sources, that his style underwent further evolution, incorporating new influences and thematic variations that distinguished his work more clearly from his father's legacy. He remained in London until his death around 1750.
Artistic Style and Development
Robert Griffier's core style remained rooted in the detailed realism of the Dutch landscape tradition. His paintings are characterized by careful observation, fine brushwork, and often rich, vibrant colour palettes. He excelled at depicting the textures of nature – the reflective surface of water, the intricate patterns of leaves, the solidity of rock formations – as well as the man-made elements within his scenes, such as boats, buildings, and distant towns.
His compositions often feature expansive river views, likely inspired by the Rhine fantasies popularized by his father and Herman Saftleven, but also potentially reflecting actual locations observed during his time in the Netherlands and England. The inclusion of numerous small figures engaged in daily activities adds life and narrative interest to these landscapes, a common feature in the genre tracing back to artists like Jan Brueghel the Elder.
A significant development noted in Robert Griffier's later work is the influence of the Venetian view painter Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal). Canaletto spent time in London from 1746 to 1756, overlapping with Griffier's later years there. While the exact nature of this influence isn't fully documented, it might be seen in a potential brightening of the palette, a more structured approach to architectural elements, or an increased interest in topographical accuracy, although Griffier also moved towards fantasy.
This later period also saw Griffier exploring more imaginative and sometimes fantastical themes. Alongside his more conventional landscapes, he painted fictional scenes, including architectural fantasies like imaginary church interiors, landscapes featuring grottoes or caves, and compositions populated with unusual figures or arrangements of animals. This diversification suggests an artist exploring the boundaries of landscape and genre painting, perhaps responding to changing market demands or pursuing personal artistic interests.
Key Themes and Subjects
Robert Griffier's oeuvre encompassed several recurring themes and subjects, showcasing his versatility within the landscape genre.
River Landscapes: Central to his output were river scenes, often depicting wide, calm stretches of water flanked by rolling hills, trees, and occasionally small towns or castles. These works follow the tradition established by his father, often evoking the picturesque scenery associated with the Rhine valley, a popular subject for Dutch and Flemish artists. The meticulous rendering of boats, from small rowing skiffs to larger sailing vessels, is a frequent characteristic. Works titled "Amsterdam" or "River View near Amsterdam" point to his engagement with specific Dutch locales during his time there.
Winter Scenes: Like many Dutch and Flemish painters before him, including Hendrick Avercamp and his own father, Robert Griffier painted winter landscapes. These scenes often capture the specific atmosphere of the season, with frozen rivers or canals, snow-dusted trees, and figures engaged in winter activities like skating or hunting. His painting "Winter Scenery with Hunters" (c. 1720), recorded in a private collection, exemplifies this aspect of his work.
Animal Painting: Griffier also incorporated detailed studies of animals into some of his works, occasionally making them the primary subject. One notable example, held by the dealer Rafael Valls Ltd., depicts a collection of birds including Chinese Geese, Egyptian Geese, Muscovy Ducks, pigeons, a kingfisher, and a lapwing within a classical landscape setting. This type of painting aligns with a tradition of animal painting perfected by artists like Melchior d'Hondecoeter, known for his depictions of exotic birds in park-like settings. The misattribution of Griffier's "Großes Tier im Landsc.Accessible" to Hondecoeter underscores this thematic connection.
Architectural and Fantasy Views: In his later years, Griffier ventured into more imaginative compositions. He painted fictional views, such as an elaborate interior of a Dutch-style church, complete with wooden vaulting and civic coats of arms, believed to have been painted while he was in London. He also created landscapes incorporating fantastical elements like elaborate grottoes, ruins, or unusual rock formations, sometimes populated by 'fantasy figures'. This interest in the imaginative and the picturesque aligns with developing Rococo and early Romantic sensibilities in the 18th century.
Specific Works and Attribution Issues
Several specific works help illustrate Robert Griffier's style and the complexities surrounding his oeuvre.
The painting featuring various geese, ducks, and other birds, held by Rafael Valls Ltd., showcases his skill in detailed animal depiction within an idealized landscape, blending natural observation with a composed, almost decorative arrangement.
"Winter Scenery with Hunters," dated around 1720, places him firmly within the tradition of Dutch winter landscape painting, demonstrating his ability to capture seasonal effects and narrative detail.
A landscape painting offered at Bonhams in London in April 2024, with an estimate of £6,000-£8,000, indicates the continued presence of his more conventional landscape works on the art market.
The painting known by the inventory title "Großes Tier im Landsc.Accessible" (Large Animal in Landscape) provides insight into attribution challenges. Initially attributed to the renowned bird painter Melchior d'Hondecoeter, it was correctly re-identified as a work by Robert Griffier in 1941. This work is recorded in the archives of the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm and carried an auction estimate of €18,000-€20,000 in 2023, reflecting its quality and significance once properly attributed. The initial confusion highlights the high calibre of Griffier's animal painting, capable of being mistaken for that of a leading specialist.
The fictional Dutch church interior demonstrates his capacity for architectural invention and his engagement with different types of imaginative scenes beyond pure landscape. These works distinguish him from the more straightforward topographical or idealized landscape painters.
The difficulty in separating Robert's early work from his father's remains a challenge for curators and collectors. This ambiguity underscores the importance of stylistic analysis and provenance research in understanding the individual contributions of artists within family workshops.
Context and Contemporaries
Robert Griffier operated within a rich artistic context, influenced by predecessors and interacting with the trends of his time. His father, Jan Griffier I, was his primary influence, connecting him to earlier Dutch landscape traditions through artists like Roelant Roghman and Herman Saftleven.
During his time in Amsterdam and London, he would have been aware of the work of numerous other landscape and marine painters. While direct collaborations are not documented, the influence of certain artists is noted. Jan Weenix (1641/1649–1719), a prominent Dutch painter known for game pieces and Italianate landscapes, is mentioned as a source of inspiration, particularly evident in works featuring animals, like the "Großes Tier..." painting. Weenix himself was influenced by his own father, Jan Baptist Weenix, creating another parallel of inherited artistic traditions.
The later influence of Canaletto has already been mentioned, linking Griffier to the burgeoning fashion for detailed topographical views (vedute) that the Venetian master popularized in London. This suggests Griffier was responsive to the changing tastes of the British market in the mid-18th century.
Although no direct collaboration is recorded between Robert Griffier and the workshop of Jan Brueghel the Elder (1568-1625) or his son Jan Brueghel the Younger (1601-1678) – indeed, the elder Brueghel died long before Robert was active – Griffier's detailed style and inclusion of numerous small figures echo the Brueghelian tradition. Jan Brueghel the Elder famously collaborated with major figures like Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) and Hendrick van Balen (1575-1632), and worked alongside landscape specialists like Joos de Momper (1564-1635), establishing models for detailed landscape and collaborative practice that resonated through subsequent generations.
Griffier's work can also be seen in the broader context of Dutch landscape painting, alongside masters like Jacob van Ruisdael (c. 1629–1682) and Meindert Hobbema (1638–1709), although Griffier's style often retains a finer detail, perhaps closer to the earlier Flemish traditions or the specific manner of his father. His river scenes might also invite comparison with the light-filled landscapes of Aelbert Cuyp (1620–1691), though Griffier's palette and atmosphere often differ.
The misattribution of his work to Melchior d’Hondecoeter (1636–1695) places him in dialogue with the great specialists of bird painting. The mention of Frans Hals (c. 1582–1666) in relation to misattribution seems less likely given their vastly different styles and subject matter, possibly stemming from a clerical error in records, but it serves as a reminder of the complexities that can arise in historical attributions.
Legacy and Collections
Robert Griffier died around 1750. Records indicate that a sale of his pictures took place at Covent Garden in London after his death, suggesting he had a stock of works or a collection at the time. Unfortunately, details about the contents or success of this sale are scarce.
Today, Robert Griffier's paintings are found in various private and public collections. The presence of his work in the archives of the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm ("Großes Tier...") indicates institutional recognition. His works continue to appear on the art market, handled by dealers like Rafael Valls Ltd. and auction houses such as Bonhams, demonstrating an ongoing interest among collectors.
His legacy is perhaps twofold. Firstly, he successfully carried forward his father's meticulous landscape style, adapting it to his own sensibility and contributing to the tradition of Anglo-Dutch landscape painting in the first half of the 18th century. Secondly, his later works, with their imaginative elements and potential response to influences like Canaletto, show an artist evolving with the times and exploring new artistic avenues beyond strict adherence to his inherited style.
Unresolved questions remain, particularly concerning the precise extent of his father's influence versus his own innovations in his early work, and the specific motivations and meanings behind the fantastical elements in his later paintings. These ambiguities, however, contribute to the interest he holds for art historians studying the period.
Conclusion
Robert Griffier emerges from the shadow of his father, Jan Griffier I, as a distinct artistic personality. While deeply indebted to the Dutch landscape tradition he inherited, he navigated the art worlds of both Amsterdam and London, developing a style recognized for its detailed execution, rich colour, and atmospheric sensitivity. His ability to render serene river views, evocative winter scenes, and detailed animal subjects secured his reputation. Furthermore, his later exploration of imaginative and fantastical themes adds another layer of complexity to his oeuvre, positioning him not just as a follower of tradition, but as an artist responsive to the evolving tastes and artistic possibilities of the 18th century. Though perhaps not as famous as some of his Dutch predecessors or contemporaries, Robert Griffier remains a significant painter whose work offers valuable insights into the Anglo-Dutch artistic exchange and the enduring appeal of landscape painting.
