Biography

The Netherlandish painter Paul Bril worked in Rome, where he became well known for his imaginative landscapes. He arrived in the city by 1582, having travelled from Antwerp to join his elder brother Matthijs. He followed Matthijs’s example, making detailed sketches of classical architecture which he incorporated into his paintings. Bril worked in a variety of media, including frescoes and small paintings on copper. He inspired many northern European artists to visit Rome, extending his influence through them and through prints made after his work. He sometimes used the visual pun of a pair of spectacles (‘bril’ in Dutch) as his signature.