Cornelius Van Poelenburgh 1594-1667 Bathsheba

Cornelis van POELENBURGH

Oil on copper

Dimensions: 27x 24 cm

Born in 1594 in Utrecht, Cornelis Van Poelenburgh died in 1667, a landscape painter.
He trained with Abraham BLOEMAERT, a Mannerist painter in Utrecht and left for Rome in 1617 to complete his apprenticeship. He stayed there for 10 years, greatly influenced by Paul Bril and Adam Elsheimer. His Italian landscapes were a great success; he was part of the first generation of Dutch Italianate landscape painters.
In Florence, he worked for Grand Duke Cosimo II de Medici. Back in Utrecht, he created a workshop and surrounded himself with many students, including Daniel Vertangen, Dirck Van der Lisse and Jan Van Haensberge.
His small ceremonial paintings earned him recognition from the authorities. 'The Banquet of the Gods on Earth' was acquired and then given to the wife of Frederick Henry of Orange-Nassau, Amalia Van Solms.
Rubens, passing through Utrecht, also bought some of his works in 1627.
He then went to England to work for King Charles I regularly.