LIST OF FIGURESLIST OF TABLESACKNOWLEDGEMENTSINTRODUCTIONPART I THE THREE PLACES OF LIVINGCHAPTER 1. THE FIRST PLACE: THE FAMILY AND KINSHIP PATTERNS OF BRUSSELS’ PAINTERS1.1 The Early Modern Family of Painters in Art History1.2 Brussels in the Seventeenth Century1.3 Marriage Patterns and Independent Households1.4 Occupational Continuity1.5 Spiritual Kinship: Godparents and Marriage Witnesses1.6 ConclusionCHAPTER 2. THE SECOND PLACE: BRUSSELS’ PAINTERS AND THE LOCAL GUILD OF PAINTERS, GOLDBEATERS, AND STAINED-GLASS MAKERS2.1 A Social Approach to the History of Guilds in the Southern Netherlands2.2 The Brussels Guild of Painters, Goldbeaters, and Stained-Glass Makers During the Seventeenth Century2.3 The Guild’s Conditions of Membership and Increasing Openness to Outsiders2.4 Social Mobility Within the Guild2.5 Occupational Ties and Information Flows2.6 ConclusionCHAPTER 3. THE THIRD PLACE: THE SOCIAL LIFE OF BRUSSELS’ PAINTERS BEYOND HOME AND WORK3.1 The ‘Third Place’ in the Early Modern Southern Netherlands3.2 Public Houses3.3 Chambers of Rhetoric3.4 Confraternities3.5 Parishes and Neighbourhoods3.6 ConclusionPART II THE THREE PLACES OF PAINTINGCHAPTER 4. PAINTING FOR THE COURT: A FAMILY OF PAINTERS AT THE START OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY4.1 Brussels’ Painters and the Archdukes’ Patronage4.2 The Noveliers Family of Painters4.3 The Noveliers Family’s Privileged Position at the Court4.4 The Noveliers Family’s Activities Outside the Court4.5 ConclusionCHAPTER 5. PAINTING FOR THE MARKET: THE SONIAN FOREST DEPICTED AROUND THE MID-SEVENTEENTH CENTURY5.1 The Sonian Forest Painters in Art-Historical Literature5.2 The Growing Demand for Native Landscapes5.3 The Sonian Forest Painters’ Network5.4 Collaborations5.5 ConclusionCHAPTER 6. PAINTING FOR THE TAPESTRY INDUSTRY: THE CO-PRODUCTION OF TAPESTRY CARTOONS AT THE END OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY6.1 The Increasing Interest in Brussels’ Tapestry Designers and Cartoon Painters6.2 Adapting to a Changing Taste6.3 Designing and Painting Tapestry Cartoons6.4 The Importance of Spatial Proximity6.5 ConclusionGENERAL CONCLUSIONAPPENDICESNOTESSOURCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHYInnovative exploration of the Brussels Baroque and the social dimensions of art production.For many painters in seventeenth-century Brussels, it was not only their artistic talent but also the communities they were part of that determined the course of their careers. This book traces the intricate relationship between social structures and artistic production by examining the lives and works of all 353 painters who became masters in the Brussels Guild of Painters, Goldbeaters, and Stained-Glass Makers between 1599 and 1706. This innovative exploration of a social history of art seamlessly integrates quantitative digital analyses at the macro-level with micro-level qualitative case studies. This fresh approach facilitates a comparative perspective on the various environments in which painters operated, allowing for new readings of how early modern artists – both in Brussels and beyond – created their art, earned a living, and navigated the complexities of urban life. Painters and Communities in Seventeenth-Century Brussels is also the first work to provide a global overview of the Brussels Baroque, including extensive lists with biographical information on all of the city’s master painters.In seventeenth-century Brussels, the careers of painters were shaped not only by their artistic talents but also by the communities to which they belonged. This book explores the intricate relationship between the social structures and artistic production of the 353 painters who became masters in the Brussels Guild of Painters, Goldbeaters, and Stained-Glass Makers between 1599 and 1706. This innovative study combines quantitative digital analysis with detailed qualitative case studies, offering a novel approach to the social history of art. By examining the various communities in which these artists operated, this book provides new insights into how early modern painters — both in Brussels and beyond — created their art, earned a living, and navigated the complexities of urban life. 'Painters and Communities in Seventeenth-Century Brussels' also presents the first overview of the Brussels Baroque, with extensive biographical lists of the city’s master painters.