Bernaert de Rijckere

Bernaert de Rijckere (c. 1535 – 1590) was a Flemish Renaissance painter known for his history paintings and portraits.

Life De Rijckere was born in Kortrijk as the son of Dierick de Ryckere (died 1581) and Mayken van West. His father was a silversmith and goldsmith who was relatively well-off and was active in the local Chamber of rhetoric of which he became a deacon. It is not documented who de Rijckere's teacher was. His earliest documented work is the Jesus Christ bearing the Cross painted in 1560 for the altar of the rhetoricians in the Saint Martin's Church in Kortrijk where the work is still located. Shortly after the completion of this commission, de Rijckere moved to Antwerp where he joined the Guild of St. Luke as a master in 1561.

Only one of his works is currently still present in Antwerp, a Beheading of St Matthew in the Cathedral of Our Lady. There must have been more since Rubens owned a Feast of the Gods by him, one of the two Flemish Renaissance history paintings in Rubens’ estate (the other one was by Michiel Coxie). More works were located in his birthplace of Kortrijk. In 1585 he received a commission from the master of the Saint Martin's Church in Kortrijk for a triptych on the Pentecost, which he completed three years later. The work, showing a mature composition and rich palette, is still located in the church.

De Rijckere was also active as a copyist, an activity in which he was assisted by his sons. He copied works of Frans Floris, Maerten de Vos, Jan van Cleef, Willem Key, Cornelis van de Capelle and Gillis van Coninxloo. His output as a copyist was so large that he was regarded as a painting "manufacturer." His clients included Antwerp's prominent citizens.