Joachim Beuckelaer (1533-1574) is a Flemish artist of the late Northern Renaissance. Joachim studied painting in the workshop of his uncle, the famous artist Pieter Aertsen (1508 or 1509, Amsterdam, buried June 3, 1575, there). In this workshop, Beuckelaer continued his creative path.

In 1560, he became a member of the Guild of St. Luke in Antwerp. The artist painted mainly genre scenes in the kitchen and at the market, depicting mountains of food, in particular fish. Beuckelaer was also the author of paintings on religious subjects. Many of the artist’s works had a special subtext and allegorical meaning. In this regard, the work “Water” from the tetraptych “The Four Elements” (located in the London National Gallery) is indicative.

The canvas combines a fish market stall with an image of elements inherent to the element of water – twelve species of fish, representing the twelve disciples of Jesus. And in the background, through an arch, we see Jesus Christ himself walking along the surface of the Lake of Galilee. The work of Joachim Beuckelaer influenced the work of some artists of northern Italy, for example, Vincenzo Campi (1536 – 1591).