Michiel Carree

Who was Michiel Carree?

Michiel Carree or Carré was a Dutch Golden Age painter.

Carree was born in The Hague. He received his first instructions from his elder brother Hendrik Carré, and afterwards became the scholar of Nicolaas Berchem, but unfortunately did not profit by the example and practice of so excellent a master, but preferred to follow the style of a much inferior artist named Gabriel van der Leeuw. According to Houbraken he was in England and knew Pieter Gerritsz van Roestraten. Houbraken also stated Carree was the teacher of the painter Jan de Visscher, and mentioned him again as his informant about a portrait by Katharina Rozee. Houbraken also stated that Michiel Carré resided some time in England, and that his works were not popular here, but Horace Walpole makes no mention of him in his 'Anecdotes.' He was a landscape painter of some celebrity, since at the death of Abraham Begeyn he was invited to Berlin by the King of Prussia, who appointed him one of his painters. On the death of Frederick he returned to Holland, and resided chiefly at Alkmaar, where he died in 1728.