Anthoni Schoonjans

Anthoni Schoonjans, nicknamed Parhasius (1655 – 13 August 1726) was a Flemish painter known for his portraits as well as his history paintings. After training in Antwerp he had an international career, which saw him work in various countries in Europe including France, Italy, Germany, Austria, The Dutch Republic and Denmark. He was a court painter in Vienna, Copenhagen, Berlin and Düsseldorf.

Life Schoonjans was born in Ninove as the son of Joannes Schoonians, a wine merchant, and Anna de Gruytere and was baptized on 5 March 1655. He became in the Guild year 1668-1669 in Antwerp an apprentice of Erasmus Quellinus II and that master's son Jan-Erasmus Quellinus. From 1674 to 1677 the artist resided in Reims and he also spent some time in Paris. In April 1696 Schoonjans traveled to Frankfurt am Main, Kassel and Hamburg together with the Flemish painter Jan Frans van Douven. On 26 April 1696 he arrived at the final destination of his trip, Copenhagen. He painted an altarpiece of the Martyrdom of St Sebastian for the St. Roch's Church and a Visitation of Mary for the St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. The Queen was not only or primarily interested in seeing the painter return but was more keen to welcome back his wife whose singing skills she enjoyed particularly. For the Queen, Schoonjans painted portraits of her son as well as of the composers Giovanni Bononcini and Attilio Ariosti.

In 1704 Schoonjans traveled to England where he painted the stairwell in Montagu House, Bloomsbury and also made a portrait of a certain doctor Peeters. In 1706 Antoon Schoonjans is reported to have given some lessons to the Dutch floral painter Margareta Haverman.

Work Anthoni Schoonjans painted history pieces, mythological scenes, religious subjects and portraits.

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