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Cornelis de
Vos

Netherlands • 1584−1651

Biography and information

De Vos is considered an outstanding portraitist, also painted pictures on religious and mythological subjects. He studied in Antwerp David Remains and in 1608 he became a master of the Guild of artists. Regardless of Rubens, Cornelis de Vos, on the basis of the pictorial traditions of the old school have created their own style, distinguished by his power of execution and liveliness.

The younger brother of Cornelis Paul de Vos (1590-1678) under the influence of Frans Snyders and was also an artist, painted scenes of hunting and animals and worked for Rubens. The sister of Cornelis and Paul was married to Frans Snyders.

Flemish painter. In 1599-1604 Vos studied with David Remeus in Antwerp, where in 1608 he became a master. His work is very diverse, he wrote religious ("descent of the Holy. Spirit", 1613, Nieukerken, parish, TS. The adoration of the shepherds, Antwerp, Cor. Museum of fine arts), the allegorical ("Abundance crowns Agriculture", Rotterdam, Museum Bellmansalen Beuningen) and mythological compositions ("Triumph of Bacchus", "the Birth of Venus", "Apollo and Python", Madrid, Prado), as well as paintings based on sketches by Rubens (ibid., and Brussels, Cor. Museum of fine arts), intended for the Torre de La Parada. In 1635 he participated in the decoration of Antwerp on the occasion of the entry of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria. But the summit of his art he attained in the portraits is quite strict, in contrast to the portraits of Rubens and van Dyck (Antwerp, Museum Mayer van den Berg; Brussels, Cor. Museum of fine arts, St. Petersburg, State. Hermitage Museum; Frankfurt, Städel art Institute; London, Wallace collection). In such portraits as "the Artist and his family" (1621, Brussels, Cor. Museum of fine arts), "Portrait of lawyer" (1662, Braunschweig, Museum of Duke Anton Ulrich), "Portrait of Antonia Canis," (1624, Lugano, collection Thyssen-Bornemisza), "Family portrait" (Braunschweig, Museum of Duke Anton Ulrich), "Portrait of Abraham Grapheus" (1620, Antwerp, Cor. Museum of fine arts) quiet and humble way combined with the rich colors, natural poses of models and shades of psicologia. Vos was also a master of children's portraits ("Little boy", "Girl", ibid; 1627, Vienna, meeting of the Academy of fine arts). "Portrait of artist's children" (Berlin-Dahlem, Museum) enchants with its grace and spontaneity. In that era, however, more famous was his brother, Paul de Vos and his family by Frans Snyders and Jan Wildens. His influence was negligible, and of his seven disciples only Simon de Vos has gained some fame Younger brother Cornelis and Paul de Vos (1595, Hulst - 1678, Antwerp), was to Antwerp in 1604 a disciple of Denis van Hove, and in the following year - David Remeus. In 1611 he entered the Studio of his relative Snyders. In 1620 he became a free master of Antwerp. The artist-animal painter of the circle of Rubens, he was very famous in his time and worked in Flanders and Spain (in Madrid he participated in the design of the palaces of Buen Retiro and the Torre de La Parada - 11 paintings of animals, Madrid, Prado). His numerous paintings (Antwerp, Cor. Museum of fine arts; Brussels, Cor. Museum of fine arts; Rotterdam, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen; Paris, Louvre; Senlis, musée des Beaux-arts, Madrid, Prado, Stockholm, NAT. Museum; Vienna Museum of art history) was written in the Baroque style; they are different in quality, what can explain their purpose to adorn the Royal residence. Among the best works should be called "deer Hunt" (Brussels, Cor. Museum of fine arts), "Hunting for deer" and "deer Stalking" (Madrid, Prado), as well as paintings from the St. Petersburg Hermitage ("Hunting leopard", etc.), which manifested the characteristic features of his art: composition, full of life, harmonious styling forms and colors. Alone in his work are the paintings of weapons and the astronomical and musical instruments (Vienna, Museum of history of arts; Brussels, Cor. Museum of fine arts, Munich, Alte Pinakothek). The artist collaborated with Jan Vildersom and Lucas van Udenom which he painted landscape backgrounds in some of his paintings.