BRAUWER, or BROUWER, ADRIAN, a painter of the Flemish school, was b. at Oudenarde (or as others say, at Haarlem) in 1608. He was apprenticed to the well known artist Franz Hals, who made profitable use of his pupil's great talents; keeping him in a garret like a prisoner, and making him work almost night and day, in painting small pictures, which Hals sold at very from prices. By the advice of a fellow-pupil, Adrian Van Ostade, young B. ran away from his hard taskmaster, and going to Amster dam, found, to his own astonishment, himself famous as a painter. He now worked for himself, and might soon have made a fortune; but his intemperance was so extreme, that, it is said, lie would never apply himself to painting while he could have credit or be supplied with liquor at a tavern. During the war in the Netherlands he went to Antwerp, where he was seized as a spy, and taken to the citadel. Here, to prove him self a painter, he executed a sketch of the guards who had him in their custody. This
picture was shown to Rubens, who immediately exclaimed: " That is the work Of Brauwer! No other artist could treat the subject in that style." B. was liberated through the interposition of Rubens, who gave him a lodging, supplied him with cloth ing and food, and in every way acted as a generous friend. But the sole return for all this kindness was, that B. secretly fled from the house of his patron, in order to renew his career of low dissipation. After visiting Paris, and failing to find work, he returned to Antwerp, where he died in the hospital (1640), cud was interredi atthe cost of Rubens, in the Carmelites' church. All B.'s paintings are marked by power and harmony of coloring, and clearness of ehiar-oscuro. They are pervaded by a jovial humor, and betray the favorite haunts and associations of the paintor.