François Spierincx
Biography1550 - 1630
About the artist
François Spierincx, or Spiering, was born in Antwerp, Belgium, around the year 1550, as the son of a mayor of Antwerp. When the Spanish Fury plundered his carpet weaving industry, he only managed to regain a few of his movable possessions. Because of this incident, he was among the many carpet dealers or weavers from Antwerp who left the city for the Dutch city of Delft. In 1592, he moved to the vacant Angens Convent which was appointed to him free of charge.
He is known to have employed about forty servants in the company, like the son of renowned painter Karel van Mander, who supplied him with designs. Interestingly, van Mander jr. was determined to start his own company after he realised his working conditions were questionable: he worked as a slave and received little salary, which resulted in a dependance on charity in order to support his family. Despite, or because of this, Spierincx held a reputation of producing carpets of unprecedented quality and he gained several prestigious commissions. The beauty of his carpets are primarily to be found in colour. Spierincx passed away on February 27, 1630.
He is known to have employed about forty servants in the company, like the son of renowned painter Karel van Mander, who supplied him with designs. Interestingly, van Mander jr. was determined to start his own company after he realised his working conditions were questionable: he worked as a slave and received little salary, which resulted in a dependance on charity in order to support his family. Despite, or because of this, Spierincx held a reputation of producing carpets of unprecedented quality and he gained several prestigious commissions. The beauty of his carpets are primarily to be found in colour. Spierincx passed away on February 27, 1630.
