The Life and Travels of Abraham Vinck
Born in Antwerp, Belgium, Abraham Vinck was a Flemish painter and art dealer whose career spanned several major European cities. After traveling to Hamburg in 1589 with his brother Cornelis, he eventually moved to Naples, where he married Vittoria Obbekens Albartsdr. During his time in Naples, he received commissions from prominent patrons and became a close friend and business partner of the painter Louis Finson. The two men co-owned two paintings by Caravaggio: the Virgin of the Rosary and a depiction of Judith beheading Holofernes. By 1609, Vinck had relocated to Amsterdam, where he lived as a wealthy man on the Fluweelenburgwal. He died in Amsterdam and was buried there in 1619.
Artistic Practice and Genres
While primarily recognized as a portrait painter, Vinck was a versatile artist who practiced in numerous genres. His body of work included:
In addition to his original compositions, Vinck was a copyist who created works after the great masters. One such work, a Christ lifted up by angels painted on copper, has been attributed to him. His professional life was closely intertwined with the art trade, as evidenced by his role as a landlord to Louis Finson in Amsterdam and his involvement in the ownership of significant works by Caravaggio.
