Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hardime, Simon

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1345442Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 24 — Hardime, Simon1890Robert Edmund Graves

HARDIME, SIMON (1672–1737), painter, was born at Antwerp, of Walloon parentage, in 1672. In 1685 he became a pupil of Jan Baptist Crepu, the flower-painter, and, after remaining with him four years, was admitted a master of the guild of St. Luke in 1689. He painted from nature both flowers and fruit, which were excellent in colour, but he was far surpassed by his younger brother and pupil, Pieter Hardime. He received commissions from the Earl of Scarborough, from several wealthy merchants of Antwerp and Brussels, and in particular from two brothers who were canons of St. Jacques at Antwerp. He is described by his contemporary, Campo Weyerman, as having been a droll little fellow, who spent the greater part of his time at the church or the tavern, and at length became so embarrassed that he had to leave Antwerp and go to his brother at the Hague, where he was no more welcome than a dog in a game of skittles. He then came to London, where he was working in 1720, and died in 1737. There is a good flower piece in the palace at Breda, which he painted for William III, and two others are in the museum at Bordeaux.

His brother, Pieter Hardime, was born at Antwerp in 1678, and died at the Hague in 1758.

[Weyerman's Levens-Beschryvingen der Nederlandsche Konst-Schilders, 1729-69, iii. 245-8; Kramm's Levens en Werken der Hollandsche en Vlaamsche Kunstschilders, &c., 1857-64, ii. 642; Van den Branden's Geschiedenisder Antwerpsche Schilderschool, 1883, p. 1149; Liggeren der Antwerpsche Sint Lucasgilde, 1864-81, ii. 532.]

R. E. G.