Johann Boeckhorst was a Flemish painter and draughtsman of German birth (b Munster or Rees, c. 1604; d Antwerp, 21 April 1668) (Vlieghe, 218).  Educated as a scholar, Boeckhorst became a cleric at the seminary of St. Clemens in Germany in 1621(Maere and Wabbes, 58).  Boeckhorst later moved to Antwerp where, in 1626,  he became a pupil of Jacob Jordaens and Peter Paul Rubens.  The great influence of these artists on Boeckhorst  is apparent in that  many of their signature stylistic elements are visible in his later work (Vlieghe, 218).  Boeckhorst’s overall success resulted from his religious, mythological, and allegorical compositions (Myers, 350).  In 1633/34, while serving as an assistant of Peter Paul Rubens, Boeckhorst became a free master of the Antwerp guild of St. Luke.  In 1635 under the guidance of Rubens, he collaborated with Jacob Jordaens on a work created to commemorate Cardinal Infant Ferdinand’s entry into Antwerp (Maere and Wabbes, 58).  Boeckhorst also worked together with Rubens on a painting, depicting the life of Hercules for the Torre de la Parada, Philip IV's hunting lodge outside Madrid, and on a series of paintings  to decorate the Pompa Introitus Ferdinandi. Boeckhorst traveled throughout Italy between 1635 and 1637 and returned in 1638 to visit Rome.  The Flemish artist also completed numerous commissions in the 1630s as an independent painter, like the 26 biblical scenes for the Falcon Monastery in Antwerp (Vlieghe, 218).  In addition, Boeckhorst collaborated on numerous commissions with notable artists like J. Fyt, J. Brueghel I, Fr. Snyders, and J. Wildens, who were also influenced by Rubens.  However, the majority of Boeckhorst’s commissions date after c. 1650 and were granted by churches and monasteries around Antwerp.  During this time, Boeckhorst created altarpieces for churches in Munster, painted works with Old Testament subjects for the private art market in Antwerp, and designed tapestries with mythological themes and illustrations.
        Boeckhorst’s artistic career can be divided into two main phases.  Prior to 1650, Boeckhorst’s paintings largely resembled Ruben’s late work which was characterized by "a compact structure and solid style."  Boeckhorst’s work after 1650 was heavily influenced by the Flemish artist, Anton Van Dyck.  Elements of Van Dyck’s style that appear in Boeckhorst's work include figure type and dramatic structure.  Boeckhorst’s own style during this period is most commonly described as possessing a sense of pathos.  This tone was depicted in the facial expressions and gestures of the figures in his paintings, like The Triumphant Christ Forgiving Repentant Sinners (Vlieghe, 218-19).
 

Maere, J. De, and M. Wabbes.  "Johann Boeckhorst."  Illustrated Dictionary of 17th-Century

    Flemish Painters.  Italy:  La Renaissance du Livre, 1994, 58-59.

Myers, Bernard S.  "Johann Boeckhorst."  McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Art.  Vol. 1.  New York:

    McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1969, 350.

Vlieghe, Hans.  "Johann Boeckhorst."  The Dictionary of Art.  Vol. 4.  New York:  Grove's

    Dictionaries Inc., 1996, 218-219.