John Closterman 1660-1711

John CLOSTERMAN 1660-1711

Closterman's bookplate (British Museum Franks Collection *354)

Biographical Note

Born in Osnabruck, the son of a painter, perhaps Hermann Closterman. He too trained as a painter and moved to England ca.1681, where he entered into partnership with John Riley and developed a successful reputation as a portrait painter. He painted many court and society figures during the 1680s and 90s; around 1700 he visited Spain and Italy. He became one of the leading, successful painters of his time, though his fortunes towards the end of his life were overshadowed by the theft of some of his goods by his lover, sometime after the death of his wife in 1702.

Books

Closterman used an engraved armorial bookplate, dated 1702 (Franks *354); the extent and disposition of his library is not known. His brief will made various monetary bequests to members of his family, and left the bulk of his estate to his brother John Baptist Closterman, also a painter (d.ca.1713).

Sources

• Will of John Closterman, The National Archives PROB 11/521/281.
• Gambier Howe, E. R. J. Franks bequest: catalogue of British and American book plates bequeathed to the ... British Museum. London, 1903-4.
• Stewart, J. Douglas. "Closterman, John (1660–1711), history and portrait painter." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.