Hardimé was born and trained in Antwerp, but he spent the major part of his life in London. Here he adapted his style to that of Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer I, who had recently passed away, but whose style remained very popular in England. Hardimé painted magnificent bouquets of ornate flowers in brilliant colours. Our painting dates from his English years.

 

 

Flemish painter

Antwerp 1672 – 1737 London

 

Painter of flower still lifes.

 

Pupil between September 1685 and September 1686 in Antwerp of Jan Baptist de Crépu (before 1640 – circa 1688). During that same period Jan Baptist Bosschaert II (1667 – circa 1746) also studied under de Crépu.

 

In 1688 Hardimé was inscribed at the painter’s Guild of Antwerp as a Master. His younger brother, Pieter (1678 – 1748), studied under him.

Pieter moved to The Hague in 1697 and remained there for the rest of his life. 

 

Our Simon followed in his footsteps, but rapidly moved in 1702 to London, where he would spend the rest of his life. Here he fell under the influence of the legacy of Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer I (1636 – 1699): this Franco-Flemish still life painter from Lille had arrived in London for the first time in 1690 and died also there 9 years later. Monnoyer too had been trained in the Flemish still life tradition, had become one of the important still life painters under King Louis XIV and had exported that royal and aristocratic French culture and taste to London.

 

 

Because it is an excellent example of how French aristocratic culture under King Louis XIV dominated Europe, yes even England, in the early 18th century.