, who was also surnamed Monnoyer, a painter of some note, who resided
, who was also surnamed Monnoyer,
a painter of some note, who resided many years in England, was born at Lisle, in Flanders, in 1635. He was
brought up at Antwerp, where his business was 'history
painting but finding that his genius more strongly inclined him to the painting of flowers, he applied his talents, and in that branch became one of the greatest
masters. When Le Brim had undertaken to paint the
palace of Versailles, he employed Baptist to do the flower
part, in which he displayed great excellence. The duke
of Montague being then ambassador in France, and observing the merit of Baptist’s performances, invited him
over into England, and employed him, in conjunction
with La Fosse and Rousseau, to embellish Montague
house, which is now the British museum and contains
many of the finest productions of Baptist. “His pictures
(says Mr. Pilkington in his Dictionary of Painters) are not
so exquisitely finished as those of Van Huysum, but his
composition and colouring are in a bolder style. His
flowers have generally a remarkable freedom and looseness, as well in the disposition, as in pencilling together
with a tone of colouring, that is lively, admirable, and
nature itself. The disposition of his objects is surp'risingly
elegant and beautiful and in that respect his compositions
are easily known, and as easily distinguished from the
performances of others.
” A celebrated performance of
this artist is a looking-glass preserved in Kensington palace, which he decorated with a garland of flowers, for
queen Mary and it is mentioned as a remarkable circumstance, that her majesty sat by him during the greatest
part of the time that he was employed ia painting it. He
painted, for the duke of Ormond, six pictures of East
India birds, after nature, which were in that nobleman’s
collection at Kilkenny in Ireland, and afterwards came
into the possession “of Mr. Pilkington. He died in Pall
Mall, in the year 1699. There is a print of Baptist, from
a painting of sir Godfrey Kneller, in Mr. Walpole’s
” Anecdotes." He had a son, named Anthony Baptist,
who also painted flowers and, in the style and manner of
his father, had great merit. There was also another
painter known by the name of John Baptist, whose surname was Caspars, and who was commonly called Lely’s
Baptist. He was born at Antwerp, and was a disciple of
Thomas Willebores Boschaert. During the civil war he
came to England, and entered into the service of general
Lambert; but after the restoration he was employed by
sir Peter Lely, to paint the attitudes and draperies of his
portraits. He was engaged in the same business under
Riley and sir Godfrey Kneller. The portrait of Charles
II. in Painters’ Hall, and another of the same prince, with
mathematical instruments, in the hall of St. Bartholomew’s
Hospital, were painted by this Baptist, who died in 1691,
and was buried at St. James’s.