Dutch painter

Utrecht, 1640 – (after) 1673, place unknown

 

Painter of genre scenes, usually with peasants, set in villages or small  towns.

 

Son and probably pupil of Joost-Cornelisz. Droochsloot (Utrecht 1586 – 1666 Utrecht), whom he was very strongly influenced by. Both painted in a strongly Flemish-influenced style. According to some scholars Joost-Cornelisz. might or must therefore have studied in Flanders.

 

Joost-Cornelisz. Droochsloot died in 1666, one year after his wife, Agnieten van Rijnevelt. The couple had at least eleven children, but all of them, except for our painter Cornelis, died before them. Actually Cornelis married May 3rd 1666, with his father as his witness, who died just a few days later (he was buried the 14th). 

Three of the children of Joost-Cornelisz. and Agnieten died from the plague in 1636. In five years time, of which 1636 was clearly the worst, at least 4300 inhabitants of Utrecht died of it, almost 15% of the total population of some 30.000 inhabitants. And then one does not take into account other killing diseases, such as cholera.

 

Father and son Droochsloot are known for the repetitive character of their artistic production, regularly repeating diverse variations in all dimensions of Joost Cornelisz.’s most successful composition: a village street with houses on both sides with many inhabitants and beggars, sometimes including the Seven Act of Mercy. The choice for this subject should be seen against the background of Cornelis’s father social involvement in his community in Utrecht:

- In 1638 he was elected regent of the local almshous, the Saint Job’s hospital;

- - in 1642 he became deacon of the Dutch Reformed Church.

 

Our happy composition by Cornelis is therefore refreshingly original and unique. Cornelis’s life end was not that happy: by 1673 he had left his wife and children, who were housed in an orphanage that same year.