Circle of Cornelis Gysbrechts
A Vanitas Still Life with countless religious and Memento Mori Elements including an Angel, a Devil, a Rosary, a Skull, a Clock, Jewellery, Flowers and Playing Cards together with a Painter’s Palette and Paint Brushes
Essay:
Cornelis Norbertus Gysbrechts was born in Antwerp and later worked in The Hague and in Hamburg (1665-1668). He was the Court painter in Copenhagen from 1668 to 1672.
He was originally a painter of Vanitas still-lives in the style of the School of Leiden, however, he was known more for his trompe l'oeil technique, which he perfected in Denmark. At the Danish court, under the influence of his royal patron, his style and subjects became more refined.
The success with which painters imitated wood led to the integration of trompe l'oeil directly into furniture, for example it often served as decoration on a cupboard door. Gysbrechts carried this deception further by painting the door with a simulated pane of glass with a letter rack strung across it.
Provenance:
Private Collection, Italy