Christiaen van Vianen
Dutch silversmith and draughtsman; member of the Vianen family of auricular-style designers
About Christiaen van Vianen
Lived 1598 – 1671 (aged 72–73). Christiaen van Vianen was a draftsperson and silversmith.
Christiaen van Vianen (1598–1671) was a Dutch silversmith and draughtsman. He was the son of Adam van Vianen and worked in his father's auricular style as a silversmith and designer, also working in Germany and England.
In 1630 he moved to London and set up a successful workshop in Westminster, soon employing nine Dutch silversmiths. His was "the largest alien workshop in London at a time when there were identifiably about 200 foreign goldsmiths, jewellers and engravers working there". As a foreigner he was not allowed to hallmark his pieces, and so often signed them. A basin, no doubt matching a ewer that is now lost, is dated 1635 and is now in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, known as the "Silver Dolphin Basin" or "Dolphin Bowl".
In the 1640s he employed the engraver Theodor van Kessel to make a book about his father's designs, called Modelli Artificiosi di Vasi diversi d'argento et altre Opere capriciozi. These plates were later reworked in the 1650s into Constige modellen van verscheyden silvere vaten en andere sinnighe werken, gevonden ende geteekend door den vermaarden Adam van Vianen, sijnde meerendeels door hem uyt één stuk silver geslagen, uytgegeven door synen soon Christiaen van Vianen tot Utrecht, ende in cooper geetst door Theodor van Kessel.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Christiaen van Vianen's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Christiaen van Vianen's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Christiaen van Vianen?
Dutch silversmith and draughtsman; member of the Vianen family of auricular-style designers (1598–1671)
When was Christiaen van Vianen born?
Christiaen van Vianen was born in 1598 in Utrecht.
When did Christiaen van Vianen die?
Christiaen van Vianen died in 1671 in Utrecht.
What was Christiaen van Vianen's occupation?
Christiaen van Vianen was a draftsperson and silversmith.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Christiaen van Vianen
· DBpedia: Christiaen van Vianen
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Christiaen van Vianen. https://biography.guide/christiaen-van-vianen/
MLA: "Christiaen van Vianen." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/christiaen-van-vianen/.
Chicago: "Christiaen van Vianen." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/christiaen-van-vianen/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:09 UTC