The publication of the scroll titled Ces Moeurs et Fachons de Faire des Turcz in 1553 remains a primary point of historical reference for the career of Mayken Verhulst. Beyond her professional output as a printer and printmaker, she functioned as a significant figure in the transmission of artistic technique within a prominent Flemish family of painters.
Early Development in Mechelen
Born in 1518 in Mechelen, Verhulst was the daughter of the painter Peeter Verhulst Bessemeers and Margriet Dancerme. Her foundational artistic training occurred within her father's workshop. This professional start led to a trajectory defined by both familial collaboration and independent business operation, spanning her later work in Antwerp and Brussels.
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Around 1535, Verhulst married Pieter Coecke van Aelst, an established painter, sculptor, and architect. The couple resided in Antwerp between 1540 and 1545 before relocating to Brussels. She contributed to the operations of her husband's workshop until his death in 1550. Following his passing, she managed the publication of his woodcut designs, including the panoramic depiction of Turkish customs.
Legacy and Education
Historical accounts, including those by Karel van Mander, identify Verhulst as the initial instructor for her grandsons, Pieter Brueghel the Younger and Jan Brueghel the Elder. While definitive attributions of her own paintings remain elusive, some scholars associate her with works assigned to the Master of the Brunswick Monogram. Her familial ties extended through her daughter Mayken, who married Pieter Brueghel the Elder in 1563.
Fast facts
- Born: 1518, Mechelen
- Died: 1600, Brussels and Mechelen
- Citizenship: Habsburg Netherlands
- Occupations: Painter, printer, printmaker
- Husband: Pieter Coecke van Aelst
- Buried: 11 April 1600
- Notable Publication: Ces Moeurs et Fachons de Faire des Turcz (1553)
Questions readers ask
What is the evidence for her artistic talent?
Guicciardini’s Descrittione places her among notable sixteenth-century women artists, and she is credited with training prominent painters Jan and Pieter Brueghel the Younger.
Are there any works attributed to her today?
No works are securely attributed to her, though some researchers suggest she may be the artist known as the Master of the Brunswick Monogram.
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