Cornelis Jacobsz Delff

CORNELIS JACOBSZ DELFF (1570-1643).
"Still life of pantry".
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Attached report issued by Dr. Fred G. Meijer.
Presents restorations.
It has frame of the twentieth century.
Signed in the upper right area.
Measurements: 130 x 202 cm; 235 x 164 cm (frame).
In this exuberant image, the artist, presents us a great display of his technical quality that is evident in the game of capture of the numerous elements that conform the image, but at the same time in the ambiguity with which he conceives the scene. At first glance it seems to be a still life with figures, a very popular genre in Flanders. However, when observing the figure of the woman, it is possible to appreciate that her clothing does not correspond to that of a simple shopkeeper, since her clothes and the pearl hanging from one of her ears, make her far from the popular idea. Behind her a man assaults her, leaning his face on her neck and offering her a glass of wine. A characteristic that imbues the work with a gallant theme that is contextualized behind a prolific, rich and diverse still life. The still life with large figures of the Flemish school has its origins in the sixteenth century, in the works of Pieter Aertsen (1508-1575) and Joachim Beuckelaer (1533-1574). Both painters produced large paintings that advanced the Baroque in their naturalism and scenographic value, although they still show the motley of elements typical of Mannerism. Pieter Aerstsen created a formula that consists of placing the figure in the foreground, surrounded by large-scale foodstuffs, always painted with special attention to quality and detail, following the Flemish tradition. Beuckelaer, a disciple of Aertsen, took this model created by his master and used it to represent religious scenes, which always remain in the background compared to the still life. In the seventeenth century, the genre of still life with figures will gain great importance in the Flemish school, with more dynamic and theatrical compositions, fully framed within the Baroque style, as we see here.
A still life painter, he was the son and pupil of Jacob Willemsz Delff: apart from the dates of his birth and death, no other biographical information is known. Stylistically, he belongs to that group of Dutch painters who began to paint still lifes inspired by all the scenes of Flemish markets and kitchens in which figures are still present. In the few works attributed to him, there is a predilection for painting the surfaces of copper and brass plates, whose glare is often reflected in the glass. The presence of fish, birds (demonstrating the soft consistency of the feathers) and fruits is frequent, their thick background composed of wooden planks and dark tones. The composition shows little vigor in the assembly of objects, with a predilection for the combination of simple forms, with mostly two-dimensional effects.