Smith, John: A catalogue raisonné of the works of the most eminent Dutch, Flemish, and French painters: in which is included a short biographical notice of the artists, with a copious description of their principal pictures : a statement of the prices at which such pictures have been sold at public sales on the continent and in England; a reference the the galleries and private collections in which a large portion are at present; and the names of the artists by whom they have been engraved; to which is added, a brief notice of the scholars & imitators of the great masters of the above schools (Part 5) (London: Smith and Son, 1834)

NICHOLAS BERGHEM*.

1 his excellent artist adds another illustrious name
to the list of the many eminent painters, whose talents
have given distinction to the city of Haarlem. He
was born in the year 1624, and is supposed to have
received his first lessons in painting from his father,
whose abilities in the profession did not extend beyond
the representation of objects of still life. Nicholas Moy-
aert, Jan Van Goyen, and Peter Grebber, are also
mentioned as having contributed to his progress in
the art; but the completion of his instruction, and the
formation of his style, may be chiessy attributed to
Jan Baptist Weeninx. Under this master he doubt-
less acquired that peculiar lightness and freedom of
* His family name was Van Haarlem, and the cognomen of Ber-
ghem is stated by the Chevalier Karel de Moor to have been acquired
by an event which occurred at the time he attended the school of
Van Goyen. The story is thus related. In order to save himself
from the chastisement of his offended father, he ssed to his master,
whither he was pursued by his parent. His master, being fond of
the lad, and desirous of saving him from a beating, called out to
his scholars, “ Berg-hem, berg-hem,” which signifies, “ hide him,
hide himfrom that time he was designated in the school, Berghem,
or, as he sometimes wrote his name, Berchem.
vol. v. B