Background
He was the son of the painter Frans I de Bie.
He was the son of the painter Frans I de Bie.
Very little is known about the life of Erasmus de Bie. He was a student of David Ryckaert III in 1641 and was admitted as a master to the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke in 1645-1646. Erasmus de Bie had pupils in 1660 and in 1666.
His main specialty was the composition of animated landscapes, in particular of city squares.
He collaborated with other artists in Antwerp for whom he painted the staffage. This is documented in the papers of the Antwerp art dealers Forchondt, which mention two anonymous church interiors with figures painted by de Bie.
He is also known to have painted winterscapes and seascapes. He produced Italianate landscapes set among Roman buildings and populated with many figures and animals reminiscent of the style of the group of genre painters active in Rome known as the Bamboccianti.
An example is the Campo Vaccino in the collection of the Victoria Art Gallery in Bath, Somerset.
His composition The Ommegang in Antwerp was reinterpreted by various Flemish artists including Alexander van Bredael. lieutenant may itself have been inspired by Pieter van Aelst"s painting with the same theme.
