Lieven Cruyl. Lievin Cruyl or Lieven Cruyl was a Flemish priest and a draughtsman and etcher of landscapes, seascapes, and architectural views.
The drawings and etchings he made during his extended stays in Italy and Paris contributed to the development of the topographical views known as veduta. He was born in Ghent, the illegitimate son of Joannae Meyerts and Guglielmus Cruyl.
The details about his life are not always clear, including with respect to the periods of his overseas residences. He studied theology, architecture, drawing and etching at the University of Leuven.
He was a priest in Wetteren near Ghent from 1660 to 1664. He was involved as an architect in the completion of the Saint Michael's Church, Ghent, the construction of which had been interrupted because of the iconoclastic troubles of the 16th century.
He made a design for the unfinished western tower in a Brabantine Gothic style in 1662. The design was finally not implemented due to cost concerns. He travelled to Rome where he resided from 1664 to 1675. He travelled in Italy and was in Venice in 1676. He spent time in France between 1680 and 1684 and returned to Ghent in 1684. He made trips to France and is recorded in Paris in 1688. In Ghent he was again involved in an architectural design project, this time for the spire of the Belfry of Ghent. His design for a Baroque spire dated 1684 was finally not implemented. He die