Steven van der Meulen (Dutch, active 1543-1568)
Steven van der Meulen (Dutch, active 1543-1568)
Steven van der Meulen (Dutch, active 1543-1568)
Steven van der Meulen was a Flemish artist active c. 1543–1563. He gained prominence in England in the first decade of the reign of Elizabeth I as one of many Flemish artists active at the Tudor court.
Little is known about van der Meulen's early life. His father was Rinnold (or Rumold) van der Meulen. He was probably born in Antwerp, where he studied under Willem van Cleve the Younger in 1543 and was admitted to the Guild of St Luke in 1552. He was in London by September 1560, is recorded as a member of the Dutch congregation there in June 1562, and was naturalized (denisized) on 4 February 1562.
In 1561 the English merchant John Dymocke or Dymoch visited Sweden in connection with negotiations for a marriage between Elizabeth and Erik XIV, taking with him a Netherlandish painter (holländsk Konterfegare) described as 'Master Staffan' to paint the portrait of the King. It is generally accepted that this was van der Meulen. In 1935, W. G. Constable identified this portrait with a full-length of Erik XIV at Gripsholm Castle, Mariefred, near Stockholm.
Scholar Elizabeth Drey discovered van der Meulen's will, dated 5 October 1563 during an epidemic of the plague in London and proved on 20 January 1564. His will indicates that his wife Gertrude Stubbeleeren (or Stubbeleren) and children Rinnold (or Rumold) and Eric were resident in London with him at the time of his death. His daughter Elizabeth had been buried 22 September 1563 and so does not appear in the will. His son Rinnold was buried 15 October and his wife on 18 October. Steven van de Meulen died soon after; he was buried at St Andrew Undershaft on 24 October 1563.