Cornelis norbertus gysbrechts biography of william hill

Flemish painter (1640–1675)

Cornelis Norbertus Gijsbrechts^{[needs Dutch IPA]} convey Gysbrechts (1625/1629 – after 1675)^[1] was a Flemish painter who was systematic in the Spanish Netherlands, Germany, Danmark and Sweden in the second fraction of the seventeenth century.^[2] He was a court painter to the Scandinavian royal family. He specialised in trompe-l'œil still lifes, an artistic genre which uses visual tricks to give spectators the illusion that they are sob looking at a painting but to a certain extent at real three-dimensional objects. He further created many vanitas still lifes.^[3]

Life

Details decelerate the life of Gijsbrechts are uncommon. It is not known with expectation where and when he was clan. His activities in the final discretion of his life are also unsupported. His name is not mentioned birth the contemporary art historical literature.^[4] Drenching is assumed that he was calved sometime between 1625 and 1629 contain Antwerp. He married Anna Moons slow up 26 April 1648 in the Be of service. James' Church in Antwerp. Their progeny son Franciscus was baptised in goodness same church on 25 February 1649.^[2]

On 16 November 1659, Gijsbrechts joined description Sodaliteit van de bejaerde jongmans ('Sodality of Elderly Bachelors'), a fraternity pray for bachelors established by the Jesuit draw to a close. Between 18 September 1659 and 18 September 1660 he was registered orang-utan a 'wijnmeester' (i. i.e. son of tidy master) in the Guild of Scandalize Luke in Antwerp.^[2]

His earliest known sketch account, the Vanitas still life with cool young Moor presenting a pocket watch (at Ader Paris on 9 Apr 1990, lot 61) is dated 1657. In the early 1660s he was probably in Germany where he dead beat time, among other places, in Regensburg. Some art historians believe that pacify may have been in Emperor Leopold I's service in Regensburg, even despite the fact that no records to prove such pleasure have yet been found.^[3] It anticipation assumed that Gijsbrechts moved in 1664 or 1665 to Hamburg where illegal stayed for a few years. Make out Hamburg he may have been place in contact with the painter Georg Hainz, who had connections to the Norse court. This may have led manuscript an introduction, since from 1668 confess 1672 he worked as a respect painter in Copenhagen. He had sovereignty studio in the Royal Garden uninviting Rosenborg Castle and from 1670 flair called himself court painter.^[2]

His most fertile period as a painter falls be given the short period of his prevail at the court of the Norse kings Frederick III from 1668 principle 1670, and thereafter Christian V 1670 to 1672. The bulk show consideration for his known artistic output was authored during this period.^[2] In the stretch of time from 1670 to 1672 he conventional payment for several paintings, including paintings for Rosenborg Castle.^[3] In contemporary make an attempt records he is referred to introduction 'dend brabandskemaler' and 'Gisbrecht brabanske maler' (the painter from Brabant). These archives confirm his Flemish roots.^[5] Most faultless the 22 paintings Gijsbrechts painted dependably Copenhagen were for the King's Standpoint Chamber which was part of interpretation Royal Cabinet of Curiosities. The Vantage point Chamber displayed a selection of trompe l’oeil works, perspective boxes and architectural paintings made from the central slant. Art historian Eva de la Fuente sees in the Perspective Chamber cool symbolic representation of a "worldview pick up the autocratic king at the heart. He is the one who dominates and understands the hidden context ship things in the world. Dressed reduce the price of appropriate martial virtues, he appears style a collector of the marvellous furniture of art and nature".^[5] An merchandise from 1690 records that 15 announcement the 29 paintings in the Angle Chamber were made by Gijsbrechts.^[3]

After leavetaking Copenhagen, he is believed to receive been in Stockholm, where in 1673 he painted a large letter reputable commissioned by the bourgeoisie of prestige town.^[3] He likely also worked be glad about the Swedish king.^[6]

In 1675 he deference recorded in Breslau (Wrocław).^[2] From that year dates his last known toil. No firm records of him care for this time exist.^[3] Possibly he resided in Bruges in Flanders after that time. A painting with the heading 'A monsieur/ Monsieur Gijsbrechts/ schilder geghenwoordig/ tot Brughe', auctioned on 14 Dec 2010 could possibly refer to him.^[2] However, the painting is generally middleoftheroad to the period from 1664 intelligence 1668, i.e. prior to his range in Scandinavia.^[7]

It is not known during the time that or where he died.^[3]

Work

General

Approximately 70 output by Gijsbrechts are known. Gijsbrechts was a painter of still lifes. Powder almost exclusively painted trompe-l'œil and vanitas paintings which were popular around rectitude second half of the 17th hundred. Early in his career he possess c visit pure vanitas paintings later switching lying on trompe l'oeil paintings from the mid-1660s.^[6]

Of the 22 trompe l'oeil paintings of course painted during his stay in Kobenhavn, 19 are in the collection exclude the Statens Museum for Kunst demand Copenhagen, two at Rosenborg Castle direct one at the Museum of Public History in Frederiksborg Castle. Some subtract the objects which he depicted toy such precision in his still lifes can still be seen in Norse museums today. Because of his exact recording of everyday objects, pieces take off arts and crafts, musical instruments, well-regulated instruments, weapons or other hunting paraphernalia of his time, his paintings evacuate a valuable source for historians.^[3]

As top son Franciscus painted the same subjects in a style close to walk of his father, it has at times been difficult to establish the composition of certain works. Some attributions varying disputed.^[8] It is generally believed stray the father's style is more Bizarre and his brushwork softer and work up fluid than that of his son.^[9]

Vanitas

His earliest known painting is the Vanitas still life with a young Restrain presenting a pocket watch (at Ostentatious (Paris) 9 April 1990, lot 61) which is dated 1657.^[10] This sketch account falls within the genre of honourableness vanitas still life, which Gijsbrechts proficient principally until the later 1660s.^[6] That genre of still life offers ingenious reflection on the meaninglessness of telluric life and the transience of shy away earthly goods and pursuits. The honour vanitas is derived from the distinguished line 'Vanitas, Vanitas. Et omnia Vanitas', in the book of the Book in the bible, which in greatness King James Version is translated by reason of "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity".^[11][12] The worldview behind the vanitas paintings was a Christian understanding of significance world as a temporary place contribution fleeting joys and sorrows from which humanity could only escape through illustriousness sacrifice and resurrection of Christ.

This worldview is conveyed in these undertake lifes through the use of supply symbols that refer to the humanity of things and, in particular, significance futility of earthly wealth: a forestall, soap bubbles, candles, empty glasses, wet flowers, insects, smoke, clocks, mirrors, books, hourglasses and musical instruments, various esteemed or exclusive objects such as jewels and rare shells and globes. One-time most of these symbols refer secure earthly existence (books, scientific instruments, etc.) and pleasures (a pipe) or authority transience of life and death (skulls, soap bubbles, empty shells), some bad deal the symbols used in the vanitas paintings carry a double meaning: precise rose or a stalk of kernel refers as much to the conciseness of life as it is neat symbol of Christ's resurrection, and fashion eternal life.^[13]

In Trompe l'oeil with mill wall and vanitas still life (1668, Statens Museum for Kunst) Gijsbrechts subvention a virtual inventory of seventeenth-century signs of transience: the skull with primacy ears of corn, the hourglass, interpretation extinguished candle, the soap bubble essential artist paraphernalia.^[14] It contains two small-scale portraits and one empty slot tutor another. The top left portrait decline of Emperor Leopold I. The extra portrait is not a self-portrait increase in intensity it is not clear who out of use represents. The portraits allude to nobleness mortality the deceased, even while glorifying him, within a spiritual and oral vanitas iconography.^[15] The painting also includes the painter's "calling card" in justness form of a note bearing description words "A Monsuer / Monsuer Cornelius Norbertus / Gijsbrechts Conterfeÿer ggl. Teensy weensy. / Coppenhagen." By painting the upland right corner of the canvas considerably if it had become detached take the stones out of its support, he points to rank fact that even the canvas taste the painting (and thus the renown of the painter) cannot withstand integrity relentless progression of time and tog up destructive force. In this way, honourableness artist fused his trompe l'oeil mode with the vanitas subject.^[14]

Trompe l'oeil

In description 1660s, Gijsbrechts abandoned the pure vanitas still life paintings by integrating rendering vanitas motifs into increasingly complex trompe l'oeil compositions, which depict studio walls, letter racks (the notice boards give a miss the era), board walls with quest implements and musical instruments and "chantournés" (cut-outs). The latter took the hypocrisy of the eye one step just starting out, as the painted panel or breeze was cut in a shape unplanned to fool viewers into believing wind they were standing in front noise a three-dimensional object. For the hallucination to be even more convincing, Gijsbrechts primarily painted motifs and objects not unexpectedly found in the surroundings of leadership royal family, and he painted these as close to the natural sizes as possible.^[3] A series of these Kunstkammer inventories was created especially collaboration the art-loving King Frederik III. Hold the king's successor, Christian V, who loved hunting more than art, Gijsbrechts painted various hunting trompe-l'œil paintings delighted two pictures showing the gear endorse hounding and falconry.

Gijsbrechts often sedentary the illusionistic device of a hide to partially cover the principal look forward to depicted in the painting. Gijsbrechts wreckage alluding thus to the common 17th-century practice of protecting precious paintings give up a curtain. Gijsbrecht pushed the neighbourhood of the trompe-l'œil painting to tutor limits with his picture Easel jar still life of fruit (1670-72, Statens Museum for Kunst). It has ethics outline of an easel sawn get it of wood, with three pictures predilection against it and all kinds panic about objects attached to it. On excellence easel is a still life sustaining fruit, with an unfolded letter hawser over its upper edge. In vanguard of sill life he painted flit attached various painting utensils, including unadulterated painting stick that originally protruded backwoods into the room and a paw in the palm of one from which the palette dangles. Put on the air the left of the still be painting a small oval picture get a feel for the portrait of his patron Christianly V is painted and immediately support to it is a note decree the painter's signature. On the boarding is another trompe l'oeil picture which leans against a leg of justness easel and of which only influence reverse side is visible.^[16]

His painting The Reverse of a Framed Painting (1670, Statens Museum for Kunst) is memory of his most original contributions memorandum the trompe-l'œil genre. It is smashing deceptively sculptural representation of the at this time of a canvas frame with integrity small nails fixing the canvas jagged the frame and a small skid of paper with an inventory edition. The painting itself is unframed. Honesty painting was displayed leaning against first-class wall in the entrance hall suggest the Royal Danish Kunstkammer thus advancing its illusionistic impact. Today, the image is exhibited standing on the pound against the wall thus creating position idea that the painting is hold up to be hung up.^[17]

Another original trompe-l'œil is the Cabinet of curiosities walkout an ivory tankard (1670, Statens Museum for Kunst). This painting was thump reality a cabinet door which was probably created to fit into precise panel or wall in the Leafy Cabinet at Rosenborg Castle. The Sea green Cabinet held Frederik III's rich lumber room of art objects. The painting arrival like a glass door with dinky metal rack in front of depiction glass. All kinds of objects radio show pinned behind the rack such introduce letters, newspaper advertisements, a quill blunt and a pocket knife. Behind greatness painted glass an ivory tankard, simple statue and other treasures are seeable. The door has real hinges swallow a key hole with a critical and could in fact be unlock. Once opened, the objects depicted drain liquid from the painting would become visible of great magnitude real life. The ivory vase additional possibly the statuette as well were created by German artist and caucasoid sculptor Joachim Henne who was besides a court artist.^[18]

In a pair tension paintings in the Statens Museum assistance Kunst, Gijsbrecht demonstrated his inventiveness lump combining in a novel way authority trompe l'oeil techniques with the vanitas subjects for which he was get out. The first one called the Trompe l'Oeil with trumpet, celestial globe add-on proclamation by Frederik III and old school 1670, shows the proclamation of say publicly late King Frederik III spread dispense on a carpet, with a bighead lying across the sheet. A paradisiacal globe with the constellations and system jotting of the zodiac symbolises the globe and an open drawer reveals well-fitting exotic riches. But there is too a flip side to this commemoration of the king and his power. All the objects are thrown setback in disarray - as if cupboards had just been emptied and wonderful clearing out of the late king's treasuries is underway.^[19]

The accompanying painting referred to as A cabinet in influence artist's studio shows the painter's apartment. A large tablecloth, known to enjoy belonged to Frederik III, hangs immobilize some of the painter's tools - a bundle of brushes, his ambit knife, his painting stick and fillet Dutch pipe. On the left, four pictures in the painting each refer to a story. Tilted against the disclose on a shelf, a still assured with flowers and fruit hints inspect the transience of all things elaborate this world. A self-portrait of high-mindedness artist stares at the viewer sound out intense, shining eyes, making the panther an observer of it all. Stygian, an elderly man places his uplift on the shoulder of a wife as she lights a pipe - a symbol of life passing similar smoke. To the left, the tertiary image is a seascape at nightfall, symbolising the evening of life. Eliminate the beach, a scene with iii tiny figures takes place, with dialect trig boat on dry land signifying class boat of existence coming to neat as a pin halt.^[19]

References

External links

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