The Life and Identity of Matheus Bloem

Born in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, in 1616, Matheus Bloem was a painter of still lifes who navigated the artistic circles of the Netherlands during the seventeenth century. His identity in historical records often shifts, appearing under various names such as Mattewis Bloem, M. Blom, Bloem, J. M. Bloom, Mattheus Blom, Matheus Blom, Blom, and M. Bloem. These variations reflect the fluid nature of nomenclature in the Dutch Golden Age, yet the man behind the brush remained a constant presence in the local art scene. He was the brother of the landscape painter Jan Blom, suggesting a family deeply rooted in the visual traditions of the era.

His professional life was marked by both creative output and the practical struggles of a working artist. In 1655, he faced a significant financial burden, owing his wife 1200 Gulden—a sum accumulated over five years. To settle this debt, he surrendered his own painting collection, valued at 980 Gulden, to her. This transaction offers a rare, humanizing glimpse into the economic realities that governed the lives of painters during this period, showing that even those who captured the stillness of objects often lived through the movement of shifting fortunes.

Key Works and Artistic Subjects

The focus of Bloem’s creative output remained largely fixed upon the quiet, often somber realities of the hunt. He specialized in still lifes that centered on hunting scenes, frequently utilizing bird motifs to anchor his compositions. These subjects allowed him to explore the textures of plumage and the stillness of the aftermath of the chase. His brushwork captured the specificities of his chosen subjects, from the delicate features of avian life to the more predatory elements of the forest.

His technical range extended beyond oil on panel to include more intimate studies. In 1642, he produced a drawing using red chalk that depicted a still life containing a jug, vegetables, and a dead dove. This work highlights a preference for the domestic and the natural side-by-side. His ability to render form through chalk suggests a disciplined hand, one capable of translating the weight of a vessel or the softness of a bird into a monochromatic study.

Specific compositions from his career illustrate the breadth of his thematic interests. His 1643 work, Still Life with Birds, remains a significant example of his ability to organize avian subjects within a structured setting. While much of his work focused on the avian, he was not limited to birds; a depiction of a fox, for instance, remains preserved in the hunting lodge at Grunewald, showing his engagement with the wider variety of creatures found in the wild.

Where to See the Works Today

The physical remnants of Bloem’s career are scattered across several European institutions, offering a fragmented view of his output. In the Dordrechts Museum, one finds a still life with birds, an oil on panel measuring 74.8 cm in height and 58.2 cm in width. This work remains a significant point of reference for his handling of avian subjects. Elsewhere, the Speck-Sternberg Museum of Fine Arts in Leipzig preserves a large still life featuring dead birds, a piece that reflects the scale of his more ambitious compositions.

His interest in the natural landscape is also documented in various collections. A drawing of a wooded valley is held in Dresden, while four large forest views are located in Braunschweig. These works provide a different perspective than his more structured still lifes. The historical record of his presence in public exhibitions is also noted, such as the appearance of a work titled Dead Swan in Düsseldorf in 1904.