BOLLONGIER, Hans
c. 1600, Haarlem - c. 1675, Haarlem

Hans Bollongier (or Boulenger), Dutch painter of Haarlem. He specialized in painting still lifes of flowers, although he also painted genre pieces. Floral still life was the specialty of many artists in the early half of the seventeenth century, although Bollongier appears to have had no rivals in Haarlem. Bollongier's work reveals little contemporary influence. Compared to other painters of floral still lifes, he employed loose, forceful brushstrokes. His paintings also feature a powerful contrast between dark and light.