Lodewijk de Deyster

Lodewijk de Deyster (c. 1656 – 18 December 1711) was a Flemish draftsman, etcher, engraver, musical instrument maker and instrument maker. He painted biblical subjects and portraits. His Baroque paintings show a clear influence of Italian masters such as Giordano, Maratta, Barocci and Flemish painters like Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck and Jan Boeckhorst. He was also a dealer in fabrics.

Life De Deyster was born around 1656 in Bruges as the son of Lodewijk and Cornelia van Heyschoten. He was a pupil of Jan Maes, a respected local artist. From 1682 to 1688, he lived and worked in Italy mostly in the company of his travel companion Antoon or Anthonie van den Eeckhoute. They spent time in Venice and Rome. In 1688 the pair returned to Bruges. Portrait of Gaspar de Vos, head of the St. Sebastian Guild of Guild of Bruges in 1673

De Deyster was also a harpsichord, violin and organ builder. In 1707, he was commissioned to complete the Jacob van Eynde organ in St. Anne's Church in Bruges. He also built the organs for the church of the Holy Cross and for the Bogarden Chapel. According to contemporary reports, his passion for making musical instruments instead of painting reduced him to poverty and when he returned to his native Bruges.

He created 16 etchings with old testament themes. He also produced one known mezzotint. His prints share with his paintings high drama and energy, with protagonists arranged in complex poses. Just as de Deyster applied his paint with freedom and spontaneity, so did he etch the plate.