Cornelis de Wael

CORNELIS DE WAEL (Antwerp, 1592 – Rome, 1667).
“Gypsies Telling fortunes.”
Oil on copper.
Work registered with the RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History, The Hague, No. 114295.
Measurements: 28.7 cm (diameter); 49.9 x 49.3 cm (frame).
This unique genre scene brings together several of the elements that characterize the Italian works of Cornelis de Wael, one of the leading Flemish figure painters active in Italy during the first half of the 17th century. It depicts a group of travelers on a road, among whom is a young woman whose hand is being examined by a woman belonging to the “Gypsy” group. The choice of a circular copper panel and the small format help lend the scene a particularly intimate character, emphasizing the precision of the details and the focus on the figures.
The work’s significance is further enhanced by its connection to De Wael’s career in Italy. After moving from Antwerp to Genoa in 1610, the artist spent most of his career there, later dividing his time between Genoa and Rome. The Ligurian city, one of the major commercial and financial centers of the Mediterranean, offered a significant market for Flemish artists, and De Wael came to play a particularly important role in this context. His painting, characterized by the liveliness of his figures and his ability to depict groups of people engaged in various activities, exerted a notable influence on the local art scene.
The work thus reflects the most versatile aspect of De Wael’s oeuvre, as he was known for his genre scenes, markets, festivals, landscapes animated by figures, and military and maritime scenes. His relationship with other Flemish artists—whether established in Italy or merely passing through—was particularly close. Anthony van Dyck, for example, maintained a close relationship with the brothers Cornelis and Lucas de Wael during his stays in Genoa, and both brothers were portrayed together by Van Dyck in a work currently housed in the Pinacoteca Capitolina in Rome. Cornelis also acted as an intermediary and art dealer, facilitating the movement of artists, works of art, and objects between Flanders and Italy.Of particular importance for this work is its entry in the RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History, The Hague, under number 114295, where it is listed as a work by Cornelis de Wael.