Denis van Alsloot (also Denijs or Denys van Alsloot) initially followed in his father's footsteps. Like him, he belonged to the Guild of St. Luke and created designs and motifs for precious, ornately woven tapestries that were made in the Brussels tapestry workshops. Business was good and profitable. In the 16th century, rich merchants decorated their houses with the noble tapestries just as dukes decorated the walls of their palaces. But the young Denis felt called to higher art. He wanted to become a painter. Who became his teacher is not known. But he must have possessed special talent in any case. In a relatively short time, he became court painter to Archduke Albert VII, Governor General of the Habsburg Netherlands in Brussels, and his wife Isabella. In this position, he was allowed to sign his works with the addition "SAPic.", the abbreviation for "Serenissorum Archiducum Pictor". Word of this artistic ennoblement spread quickly, and van Alsloot's clientele soon included the entire elite of the city - from courtesans to statesmen to princes. They all had landscapes painted by the Flemish artist - sometimes topographically accurate, sometimes imaginary, sometimes in summer light, sometimes hidden under a blanket of snow.
Like many other Brussels landscape and genre painters, Denis van Alsloot was inspired by the Sonien forest near the capital, which today consists mainly of copper beeches. However, these were not planted until the 18th century. In van Alsloot's lifetime, the forest looked much different - more mystical and mysterious. The painter often integrated castles, monasteries and abbeys into his wooded landscapes. Those works that are topographically accurate still allow us to identify the place where they were created over 400 years ago. Mythological paintings were also created in collaboration with Hendrick de Clerck. De Clerck provided the staffage, Alsloot placed mythological or biblical figures in the landscape - and vice versa. The paintings were then signed by both painters.
But it was particularly popular to commission Denis van Alsloot with a painting of a local festival or a special ceremony. It so happened that Archduchess Isabella had a series of paintings made by him for 10,000 florins - to commemorate the Ommegang procession. The paintings were to show, among other things, how Isabella had been crowned Queen of the Crossbowmen's Guild. Above all, however, the commission had a political motive. Since Archduke Albert was ill and would probably die soon, the archduchess wanted to show her critics that she was regarded by the population as "their princess" and thus a natural successor to her husband. Of the original eight paintings in the series, only six remain today, and two are considered lost. Those works that have survived the test of time are in the Prado in Madrid and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
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 - (MeisterDrucke-84838).jpg "The Ommeganck in Brussels in 1615: The Procession of the Guilds, 1616 by Denys van Alsloot")
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.jpg "Winter Landscape, 1610 by Denys van Alsloot")
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 in the Brussels Ommeganck of Sunday 31st May 1615 (see 75629 for detail) - (MeisterDrucke-131287).jpg "The Triumph of the Archduchess Isabella in the Brussels Ommeganck of Sunday 31st May 1615 by Denys van Alsloot")
 in the Brussels Ommeganck of Sunday 31st May 1615 (see 75629 for detail) - (MeisterDrucke-131287).jpg)
.jpg "The Triumph of Archduchess Isabella in the Ommeganck in Brussels: Detail of a Figure in a Devil Costume by Denys van Alsloot")
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.jpg "Celebrations of the Ommeganck or Papagayo, in Brussels: Procession of Religious Orders and Monks by Denys van Alsloot")
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.jpg "An extensive wooded landscape in winter with skaters on a frozen waterway, a pilgrim and shrine beyond by Denys van Alsloot")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-35827).jpg "The Triumph of Isabella in the Ommeganck in Brussels on 31st May 1615, (detail) by Denys van Alsloot")
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.jpg "Skating During Carnival by Denys van Alsloot")
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.jpg "The Triumph of Archduchess Isabella in the Ommeganck in Brussels on 31st May 1615 (detail) by Denys van Alsloot")
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.jpg "The Triumph of Archduchess Isabella in the Brussels Ommeganck: Detail of the Car of the Stem of Jesse by Denys van Alsloot")
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 (see also 187569) - (MeisterDrucke-108980).jpg "The Ommeganck in Brussels in 1615: Procession of Notre Dame de Sablon, 1616 (detail) by Denys van Alsloot")
 (see also 187569) - (MeisterDrucke-108980).jpg)
 - (MeisterDrucke-64901).jpg "The Triumph of Archduchess Isabella in the Ommeganck in Brussels on 31st May 1615 (detail) by Denys van Alsloot")
 - (MeisterDrucke-64901).jpg)
 in the Ommegang in Brussels 31st May 1615 1616 (detail) - (MeisterDrucke-57870).jpg "The Triumph of the Archduchess Isabella (1556-1633) in the Ommegang in Brussels, 31st May 1615, 1616 (detail) by Denys van Alsloot")
 in the Ommegang in Brussels 31st May 1615 1616 (detail) - (MeisterDrucke-57870).jpg)
.jpg "Forest Landscape with a Distant Castle by Denys van Alsloot")
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.jpg "The Abbaye de La Cambre in the Forest of Soignes by Denys van Alsloot")
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.jpg "The Ommegang in Brussels on 31st May 1615: Procession of Notre Dame de Sablon by Denys van Alsloot")
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.jpg "The Ommeganck in Brussels on 31st May 1615: Triumph of Isabella of Spain (detail) by Denys van Alsloot")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-982477).jpg "Winter Landscape by Denys van Alsloot")
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.jpg "The park of the Viceregal palace, Brussels, with elegant company by a fountain, c.1600 by Denys van Alsloot")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-298101).jpg "Landscape with `Fete Galante")
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.jpg "A Winter Landscape with Travellers on a Path by Denys van Alsloot")
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.jpg "Feast of Our Lady of the Forest by Denys van Alsloot")
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.jpg "The Triumph of the Archduchess Isabella in the Brussels Ommerganck on 31st May 1615 (detail) by Denys van Alsloot")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1584236).jpg "Festivity of Our Lady of the Woods by Denys van Alsloot")
_-_(MeisterDrucke-1584236).jpg)
 - (MeisterDrucke-70246).jpg "Musicians Taking Part in The Ommeganck in Brussels on 31st May 1615: Procession of Notre Dame de Sablon by Denys van Alsloot")
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.jpg "Winter Landscape by Denys van Alsloot")
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