Snyders, FRANCIS

Snyders, FRANCIS, a Flemish painter, born at Antwerp in 1579, studied under Van Breughel and Van Balen. Originally he confined himself to painting fruits, game, vegetables, and other typical models of still-life; but under the influence of Rubens, for whom, as well as for Jordaens, he frequently painted animals and still-life subjects to go in their larger pictures, he cultivated more especially the painting of animals. His bear, wolf, and boar fights have hardly ever been surpassed. He painted a stag-hunt and similar hunting subjects for Philip III. of Spain. Snyders died at Antwerp in August 1657.