JANSSENS, ABRAHAM, a contemporary of Rubens, and regarded as in some respects his successful rival, was born at Antwerp in 1569. He delighted in strong contrasts of light and shade, and gratified this taste in his torchlight and similar scenes. His subjects were generally chosen with a view to setting off to the best advantage his powers of colouring, which, in his day, were reckoned inferior to those of Rubens alone. His flesh tints, in particular, were very highly admired, and have retained their original lustre with little change. Janssens was also a good draughtsman, and had a fine eye for the composition of a picture. His best pieces are still to be seen in the churches of Ghent, Antwerp, and Dusseldorf.