Delff, what’s in a name, was born in Gouda, just as his father, who was a portrait painter. Both worked almost all their lifes in Delft.

 

Our fabulous painting dates from the first half of Delff’s career, when he specialised in rich market and kitchen still lifes, in which human figures were regularly incorporated. Later in his career he solely focussed his attention on the effects of light on metal kitchen vessels. This interest is already visible in the left part of our painting, in the magnificently painted copper kitchen ware.

Delff’s paintings, which are rare, are sought after.

 

 

Dutch painter

Gouda 1570/71 – 1643 Delft

 

Kitchen still life painter

 

Son and pupil in Delft of the portrait painter Jacob Willemsz. Delff (circa 1540/45 – 1601). 

Both Cornelis’s younger brothers studied also under their father; they were portrait painters:  Rochus (circa 1580 – 1617), whom very little is known about and Willem (1580 – 1638). Willem married the daughter of the famous portrait painter Michiel van Mierevelt, for whom he also worked as engraver.

 

In 1595 our Cornelis studied under the late Mannerist history painter Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem (1562 – 1638) in Haarlem. 

Before 1610 our painter returned to Delft. He joined the local Painter’s Guild in 1613. He stayed here till his death in 1643. 

 

Cornelis’s son, Adriaen, must have been a church interior painter. None of his works have been identified until now.

 

 

Delff belonged to the second generation of kitchen still life painters in the Low Countries, in the wake of Pieter Aertsen and of Joachim Beuckelaer.

There is an artistic link between Aertsen and Delff: Delff studied under the important and versatile Haarlem master Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem, who had been a pupil of Pieter Pietersz. I, who was the son and pupil of Pieter Aertsen.

 

Delff’s career can be divided in two:

- at the start he painted large, opulent kitchen and market scenes: depictions of still lifes, often accompanied by figures;

- later he removed the human figures and the setting, focusing on the kitchen utensils. He is the inventor of this new type of kitchen still lifes, in which he gave prominent attention to the reflections of light on the shiny copper, brass and pewter implements.

 

Most of his paintings are signed, but never dated. Our painting is monogrammed, bottom left, though the letters are today barely visible.

 

In just a few of Delff’s still lifes does a swan, the most noble and beautiful bird, appear.

A younger painter from Amsterdam, Elias Vonck (circa 1605 – 1652),regularly painted swans in his hunting still lifes, and also herons and peacocks.

 

 

Because it is an excellent example of the rare art of this innovative painter. Our picture surpasses most of his early works, because of the  sheer beauty, peace, balance and rest that emanates from it.