Cornelisz de Heem - Buy or sell works
Leiden 1631-1695 Antwerpen
Cornelis de Heem was born in Leiden in 1631 and came from a respected, traditional Dutch family of artists. His father was the famous still life painter Jan Davidsz. de Heem (1606-1683), and he received his training in his established Antwerp workshop. Around 1660, Cornelis de Heem was accepted to St. Luke’s Guild in Antwerp as a master. The greats of the art scene of that time were all part of this Guild, including Jan Brueghel the Younger, Jan van Kessel I, David Teniers the Younger, just as before him many of today’s most important painters led to its renown, such as Jan Gossaert, Jakob Grimmer, Joos de Momper, Pieter Brueghel the Elder and the Younger, Pieter Coecke van Aelst, Peter Paul Rubens, Anthonis van Dyck, Jan Fyt, Sebastian Vrancx and Frans Francken the Elder and the Younger. These are all artists who are still in great demand at art auctions today.
Cornelis de Heem remained true to the family tradition in his painting and primarily devoted himself to lush still lifes with fruits and flowers, lobsters and oysters, all skilfully arranged and draped on tables, in bowls and baskets. His painting is characterised by a special luminosity of colour and a pronounced joy in the details. This high-quality approach to the execution of his paintings is what guides lovers of Dutch painting to auctions of paintings by the Old Masters time and again.