Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Colonia, Adam de
COLONIA, ADAM de (1634–1685), painter, was son of Adam Louisz de Colonia, a painter, who was a native of Antwerp, but settled in Rotterdam about 1593. The younger Adam painted cattle pieces in the style of Berchem, and gained some repute for depicting village-wakes and conflagrations by night, the latter a style popularised by Egbert Vander Poel. He copied a great many pictures by Bassano, whose striking effects of light and shade he endeavoured to imitate. Pictures by him (or his father) are to be met with in Holland, and there are examples of his art in the museum at Lille and at Copenhagen. Colonia came over to England and spent the latter part of his life in this country. He occasionally etched; an unimportant example representing 'Apollo and Marsyas,' is sometimes met with. He died in London in 1685 aged 51, and was buried in St. Martin's-in-the-Fields. By his wife Cornelia, daughter of Arent Kerckhoven, he had four children including a daughter Huberta, married to Adriaen Van Diest, the painter [q. v.], and a son, Hendrik Adriaen de Colonia. The latter usually known as Adrian Colonia, was born in 1668 at Rotterdam, was his father's pupil and also received instruction from his brother-in-law, Van Diest. In the landscapes painted by the latter he often painted the figures. He also painted landscapes himself in the style of Salvator Rosa. He attained a reputation for rapidity both of invention and execution. He died in London in 1701, aged 33, and was buried with his father in St. Martin's-in-the Fields.
[Redgrave's Dict. of English Artists; Nagler's Kunstler-Lexikon; De Piles's Lives of the painters; Fiorillo's Geschichte der Mahlerey in Gross-Britannien; Obreen's Archief voor Nederandsche Kunstgeschiedenis, vol. i.; Scheffer and Obreen's Rotterdamsche Historie Bladen, i. 581-89; Immerzeel's Levens und Werken der Holandsche en Vlaamsche Kunstschilders, &c.; De Chalmot's Biographisches Woordenboek; Moen's Registers of the Dutch Church, Austin Friars; Information from Messrs. A. Bredius and W. J. C. Moens.]