Explore: Theodore de Bruyn

(1730 - 1804)

Landscape painter Theodore de Bruyn was born in Amsterdam. He studied in Antwerp under Nicolas van den Bergh (1725-1774), before moving to England in 1768 to paint decorative schemes for the Duke of Norfolk. De Bruyn joined the Royal Academy Schools as a sculptor in 1773, aged 43. However, he exhibited landscape paintings rather than sculpture at the Academy, the Society of Artists and the Free Society of Artists in London for some 20 years. As well as rustic landscapes with figures and cattle, de Bruyn painted country house views like this example and grisaille paintings of bas-relief sculpture. He died in London in 1804. He sons John (born 1764) and Henry (born 1772) both became artists, after training at the Royal Academy Schools.