Laureys a Castro

Laureys a Castro or Lorenzo a Castro (March 1644 – ) was a Flemish painter of marine views and portraits who is mainly known for his work carried out in England roughly between 1672 and 1700. He was clearly regarded as a leading marine painter in England as many of his works were held in English collections.

Life Very few details about Laureys a Castro's life and training have been transmitted. It has been speculated that he was the son of the Flemish marine painter Sebastiaen Castro and his second wife Anna Wuijlens and that his family was of Portuguese descent and had settled in Antwerp to escape the persecution of Jews during the Portuguese Inquisition of the early 1600s.

Based on the subjects of his paintings, he likely travelled and visited many Mediterranean ports such as Lisbon, Genoa, Malta and Sicily. Around 1670–72 he settled in England where he was active as a marine and portrait painter working principally on commission. A number of commissions were given to him circa 1670, notably six pictures for the actor-manager William Cartwright. These pictures were among Cartwright's collection which he bequeathed to Dulwich College on his death in 1686. These works formed the nucleus of the Dulwich Picture Gallery, England's first public art gallery-museum. Many of his works are held in English private and public collections, in particular in the Dulwich Picture Gallery, which holds about seven works and the National Maritime Museum, which holds three works. He painted a panoramic view of the Battle of Lepanto (Sold at Bonhams on 8 December 2004 in London, lot 135). This painting may have been inspired by the frequently reproduced line engraving after the design of the Flemish artist Stradanus of 1590. The work, which depicts the defeat of the Turkish naval force by a European coalition in 1571, is undated but was likely painted around 1683, the year that the Turks unsuccessfully laid siege to Vienna. It is likely that the general relief after the retreat of the Turks before Vienna provided the impulse for this composition. Castro also depicted more contemporary naval engagements such as in his Sea battle with Barbary Corsairs, which gives a dramatic depiction of a close combat engagement with Barbary pirates (Dulwich Picture Gallery).

Another frequently recurring theme of his compositions are capricci of Mediterranean ports. It is likely that Castro was acquainted with Mediterranean ports such as Genoa, Malta and Lisbon.

Castro is also believed to have painted religious paintings as indicated by a drawing of a Virgin with Child, St John the Baptist and Angels in the Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent. He was a capable portraitist as demonstrated by the Portrait of Sir Robert Clayton (1629–1707), which is a full-length portrait of Sir Robert Clayton in ceremonial robes (Bank of England collection).

Engravings made by John Smith after designs by Castro show that he may also have produced genre scenes (National Portrait Gallery, London).