Balthasar Lauwers

Balthasar Lauwers, known in Italy as Baldassare Lauri or Baldassare Lauro (baptized on 18 April 1578 – 4 August 1645) was a Flemish landscape painter who, after initially training in Antwerp, had a successful career in Italy where he worked for an elite clientele. As he was mainly active as a fresco painter in private residences, not many of his works have been preserved.

Life Balthasar Lauwers was baptized on 18 April 1578 in Antwerp.

Lauwers left Antwerp and travelled via Milan and Venice to Rome. His arrival in Italy must be placed around 1600 when he was still in his early twenties. In Rome, he was a pupil of, and later worked as an assistant to, the prominent Flemish landscape painter Paul Bril who had established himself in Rome around 1582. Thanks to Bril's connections in Rome, Lauwers was able to secure various commissions.

Prior to 1603, Balthasar Lauwers married Hélène (Elena) Cousin, daughter of Henri Cousin, a goldsmith from Paris and scion of a prominent family of French goldsmiths and artists, including two painters of the School of Fontainebleau.

In 1622 he joined the Accademia di San Luca in Rome. In 1634 Lauwers went to Milan to work on commissions. According to the early Italian art historian Filippo Baldinucci, Lauwers was invited to Milan by Cardinal Albornoz who was then the Governor of Milan. He painted in the Ducal Palace in Milan frescos of landscapes in certain porticos. Lauwers received a monthly stipend from the Cardinal as long as the Cardinal remained the governor of Milan. Lauwers returned to Rome soon where he continued to be active as a landscape painter. He made many frescos for the Sacchetti family, in particular in their palace in Ostia. He also worked for other prominent personalities of the Roman aristocracy and higher church hierarchy. Filippo further studied with his brother Francesco and his brother-in-law Angelo Caroselli. Aside from his sons, the architectural painter François de Nomé was also a pupil of Balthasar Lauwers.

Lauwers died on 4 August 1645 in Rome. He is known to have provided wall decorations in many palaces.

His style is regarded as close to that of Paul Bril, his master in Rome. He collaborated on decorative projects with Bril and Agostino Tassi.