XXI. Adrian Brauwer.
Excelled all that ever was before him, in expressing several Comical and Extravagant Humors: Was a person of a Jo∣vial Disposition, much addicted to Sensuality and Debauche∣ry. He seldom work'd but in a Tavern, where in the heat of Wine he invented things that gave a true Character of the wildness and frolicksomness of his Temper; yet with such curiousness and art, that caused admiration to the gravest and most judicious Painters. Having been robbed by certain Pirates on the Coast of Holland, and stripped of his Cloths, he got him a Suit at his Landing made of strong Canvas, upon which he painted several Flowers and Fi∣gures most ingeniously, after the manner of Indian Silks; which some Ladies seeing, and taking it to be a rich fort of Silk, enquired up and down amongst the Mercets for some of the same sort, but to no purpose. Some few days after, Brauw•••• got upon the Stage in the Play-house at Amsterdam as soon as the Play was ended; and there taking a wet Cloth in his hand, he wiped out before them all, the whole Pain∣ting, and by showing it was nothing but Canvas, undeceived them of their former pleasant mistake. Another time per∣ceiving that his Friends slighted him for the meanness of his Habit, he ordered a rich Velvet Suit to be made him, such as the wealthy Merchants at Antwerp used to wear. A Co••sin of his, that happen'd at that time to be upon his Marriage, ••••••∣ing him in so good an Equipage, invited him to grace the Wed∣ding with his Company: Brauwer failed not to be there; and when all the Company much commended the Bravery and Richness of his Apparel, he snatch'd up a Dish of Meat that stood upon the Table, and threw all the Sawce and Grease that was in it upon his Cloaths, saying in a great rage; That it was more fit to bestow the Good Cheer on his Cloaths, since it was for their sake, and not his own that he was invited: Giving them to un∣derstand by this action, though it was ridiculous and extrava∣gant, that he despised them no less for their Ignorance and Folly, in making more account of the Shell than the Kernel; and in measuring the inward Deserts of men by the goodness of their Out∣side and Apparel. His Cloaths being thus smeared over with Grease, he threw them into the Fire, and hasted away to the usual place of his resort, to smoak his Pipe, and drink Brandy, which he was much addicted to. When he had by his continual Excess drained his Purse, and reduced himself to Extremity, he would draw a Design of some Drunken Person or other upon Paper, and send it to the Lovers of Art; and if they did not send him the full Price he de∣manded, which was sometimrs 100 Crow••••, he would throw it into the Fire, and after that was burnt, set himself to make some other odd Fancy, until by this new Frolick he had got his Demand. His Faintings were usually some Drunken Clown beaten by his Wife; or a Sottish Fellow with Pot in Hand, smoaking Tobacco: Sometimes a Knot of Sharpers playing at Cards or Dice: Some Young Prodigal endeavouring to decoy a simple Wench: Or a Drunken Quarrel: So that as Rubens and Vandyke were in his time esteemed the best for Grave and Magnificent Designs, so was he for such like Facetious Humors, which though they are not so powerful to excite Laughter, as the Picture of the Old Woman which Zeuxis painted was to him, who as Plutarch relates, beholding his Workmanship, and the Comical Figure it made, fell into such an excessive fit of Laughing, that it suffocated his Spirits, and killed him, yet the very fight of them may serve for a good Antidote against Meiancholy. He died at Antwerp in the 30th year of his Age, overwhelm'd with his Intempe∣rance, and so poor, that his Friends were fain to beg for wherewithal to pay the Charges of his Funeral; although had he been a sober and discreet person, he might have at∣tained to great Wealth by his Pencil, his Works were so much esteemed.