Cornelis van der Geest (1555 – 10 March 1638) was a

spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices a ...

merchant from Antwerp, who used his wealth to support the Antwerp artists and to establish his art collection. He was also the dean of the

haberdasher In British English, a haberdasher is a business or person who sells small articles for sewing, dressmaking and knitting, such as buttons, ribbons, and zippers; in the United States, the term refers instead to a retailer who sells men's clothing, ...

guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...

Art collection

He is best known today for his art collection. He was portrayed repeatedly by

Anthony van Dyck Sir Anthony van Dyck (, many variant spellings; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Brabantian Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Southern Netherlands and Italy. The seventh c ...

, while

Willem van Haecht Willem van Haecht (1593 – 12 July 1637) was a Flemish painter best known for his pictures of art galleries and collections. Life Willem van Haecht was born in Antwerp as the son of the landscape painter Tobias Verhaecht. Tobias Verhaecht wa ...

, whom he had hired as curator, painted his " constcammer" several times, including a view of the visit of Albert VII, Archduke of Austria and

Isabella Clara Eugenia Isabella Clara Eugenia ( es, link=no, Isabel Clara Eugenia; 12 August 1566 – 1 December 1633), sometimes referred to as Clara Isabella Eugenia, was sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands in the Low Countries and the north of modern France with ...

to his art collection. He owned two paintings by Quentin Matsys, one of which, a ''Madonna'', can be seen in the Van Haecht painting. Other works included in that view are ''Women at her toilet'' by

Jan van Eyck Jan van Eyck ( , ; – July 9, 1441) was a painter active in Bruges who was one of the early innovators of what became known as Early Netherlandish painting, and one of the most significant representatives of Early Northern Renaissance art. Ac ...

, a still life by Frans Snyders, ''Ceres Mocked'' by Adam Elsheimer, ''

Danaë In Greek mythology, Danaë (, ; ; , ) was an Argive princess and mother of the hero Perseus by Zeus. She was credited with founding the city of Ardea in Latium during the Bronze Age. Family Danae was the daughter and only child of King Acris ...

'' by Van Haecht, ''Battle of the Amazons'' and a portrait by

Peter Paul Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens (; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque traditio ...

, ''Peasant Company with Woman making Pancakes'' by Pieter Aertsen, ''Apelles'' by

Jan Wierix Jan Wierix or Johannes Wierix (1549 – c. 1620) was a Flemish engraver, draughtsman, and publisher. He was a very accomplished engraver who made prints after his own designs as well as designs by local and foreign artists. Together with o ...

and a hunting scene by Jan Wildens. The painting also shows some of Van der Geest's sculptures, with copies of the ''

Venus de' Medici The Venus de' Medici or Medici Venus is a tall Hellenistic marble sculpture depicting the Greek goddess of love Aphrodite. It is a 1st-century BC marble copy, perhaps made in Athens, of a bronze original Greek sculpture, following the type of th ...

'', the ''

Farnese Hercules The ''Farnese Hercules'' ( it, Ercole Farnese) is an ancient statue of Hercules, probably an enlarged copy made in the early third century AD and signed by Glykon, who is otherwise unknown; the name is Greek but he may have worked in Rome. Like ...

'', and the '' Apollo Belvedere''. Paintings by Willem van Haecht of his art gallery: File:Willem van Haecht - Collection of Cornelis van der Geest with Joseph and Potiphar's wife.jpg, (1) ''Collection of Cornelis van der Geest with Joseph and Potiphar's wife'', c. 1630 File:Willem van Haecht - Alexander the Great visits the studio of Apelles N08610-169-lr-1.jpg, (2) ''Alexander the Great visits the studio of Apelles'', c. 1630 File:Willem van Haecht (II) - Apelles painting Campaspe - 2.jpg, (3) ''Apelles painting Campaspe'', c. 1630 File:Willem van Haecht - Collection of Cornelis de Geest wirh Paracelsus.jpg, alt=Charles Webster, 'Bare Heads against Red Hats: a portrait of Paracelsus', in From Physico-Theology to Bio- Technology: Essays in the Social and Cultural History of Biosciences, ed. by Kurt Bayertz and Roy Porter (Amsterdam: Rodopi, 1998) pp. 54-75, (4) ''Spurious portrait of Paracelsus in the Gallery of Cornelis van der Geest'', 1620-1637 (see C. Webster, 'Bare Heads against Red Hats', in ''From Physico-Theology to Bio-Technology'', Amsterdam 1998, 54-75). File:The Gallery of Cornelis van der Geest.JPG, (5) ''Albert and Isabella visiting the Gallery of Cornelis van der Geest'', 1628 File:Willem van Haecht Władysław Vasa.JPG, (5) Left side detail: portraits of Isabella and Archduke Albert, Rubens, Prince Władysław Vasa of Poland (who visited van der Geest's Gallery in 1624, with black hat) and the host showing the Matsys ''Madonna'' Paintings hanging in his art gallery followed by the numbers of the five gallery paintings above: File:Gallery of Cornelis van der Geest detail.jpg, '' Woman at her Toilet'' by

(5) File:Quinten Massijs (I) or workshop 001.jpg, ''

Madonna and Child Kissing ''Madonna and Child Kissing'' is a 1520s oil on panel painting by the Flemish renaissance artist Quentin Matsys in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, on loan to the Mauritshuis. Painting Mary, holding two cherries with her right hand, ...

'' by Quentin Matsys (5) File:Elsheimer, Adam - Ceres and Stellio.jpg, ''Ceres Mocked'', by Adam Elsheimer (5) File:Willem van Haecht - Apelles painting Campaspe - detail upper right (cropped Judith and Holofernes after Elsheimer).jpg, ''Judith and Holofernes'', by Adam Elsheimer (3 & 5) File:Pieter Aertsen — The Pancake Bakery.jpg, ''The Pancake Bakery'', by Pieter Aertsen (5) File:Les pèlerins d'Emmaüs by Paul Bril.jpg, ''Pilgrims at Emmaus'' by Paul Bril (4) File:Daniel Seghers - Flowers in a Vase.jpg, ''Flowers in a Vase'', by Daniel Seghers (2,3 & 4) File:Frans Snyders - Game Larder Still Life Hung Game with a Swan and a Peacock on a Table and a Page Holding a Parrot NTII CCP 533858.jpg, ''Game Larder Still Life with a Page Holding a Parrot'', by Frans Snyders (1,2,3 & 5) File:Quentin Matsys-bildnis eines gelehrten-Portrait of a scholar.jpg, ''Portrait of a Scholar'', by Quentin Matsys (2,3 & 5) File:Quentin Massys 001.jpg, ''

The Money Changer and His Wife ''The Money Changer and His Wife'' is a 1514 oil on panel painting by the Flemish renaissance artist Quentin Matsys. Painting A man, who is weighing the jewels and pieces of gold on the table in front of him sits next to his wife who is reading ...

'', by Quentin Matsys (3) File:Peter Paul Rubens 185.jpg, ''

The Reconciliation of Esau and Jacob ''The Reconciliation of Esau and Jacob'' is a 1624 painting by Peter Paul Rubens. Originally in the Spanish royal collection, it was sent to Germany by Maria Anna of Neuburg (wife of Charles II of Spain) to her brother Johann Wilhelm. It is now i ...

'', by Rubens, (1) File:Peter Paul Rubens - Battle of the Amazons - WGA20302.jpg, '' Battle of the Amazons'' by Rubens (3 & 5) File:Mucius Scaevola vor Porsenna Rubens van Dyck.jpg, ''Mucius Scaevola before Porsenna'', by Rubens (4) File:Rubens - The Drunken Satyr.jpg, ''The Drunken Satyr'', by Rubens (2,3 & 4) File:Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), Portrait of a commander, Christie's Images.jpg, ''

Portrait of a Commander ''Portrait of a Commander'' or ''A Commander Being Dressed for Battle'' is a portrait of an unknown man in plate armour, by Peter Paul Rubens. In July 2010 it was sold for £9 million by Christie's after Sotheby's turned it down, suspecting its ...

'', by Rubens (5) File:Anthony van Dyck - Achilles recognized among daughters of Lycomedes.jpg, ''Achilles recognized among daughters of Lycomedes'', by

(2) File:Anton van Dyck - Samson and Delilah - Google Art Project.jpg, '' Samson and Delilah'' by Anthony van Dyck (3) File:Sebastiano del Piombo 003.jpg, ''Portrait of Ferry Carondelet with his Secretaries'', by Sebastiano del Piombo, (1,2,3 & 4) File:Bernaert van orley (attr.), guerriero romano e servo, 1530 ca. 01.JPG, ''Roman Soldier and Servant'', by Bernaert van Orley, (2,3 & 4) File:Apollo Daphne Albani Louvre INV18.jpg, ''Apollo and Daphne'', by

Francesco Albani Francesco Albani or Albano (17 March or 17 August 1578 – 4 October 1660) was an Italian Baroque painter who was active in Bologna (1591–1600), Rome (1600–1609), Bologna (1609), Viterbo (1609–1610), Bologna (1610), Rome (1610–1617), ...

, (1 & 3) File:Hans Rottenhammer - Frühling.jpg, ''Spring'', by

Hans Rottenhammer Johann Rottenhammer, or Hans Rottenhammer (1564 – 14 August 1625), was a German painter. He specialized in highly finished paintings on a small scale. Biography He was born in Munich, where he studied until 1588 under Hans Donauer the Eld ...

, (2,3,4 & 5) File:Hans Rottenhammer - Das Jüngste Gericht - 1598.jpg, ''Last Judgement'', by Hans Rottenhammer, (5) File:Titian - Venus Blindfolding Cupid - WGA22908.jpg, ''

Venus Blindfolding Cupid ''Venus Blindfolding Cupid'' is a c.1565 painting by Titian, now in the Galleria Borghese in Rome. The painting has been copied many times. File:Venus sätter bindel för Amors ögon (Andrea Schiavone) - Nationalmuseum - 157950.tif, Version by ...

'', by Titian (2,3 & 4) File:Correggio - Venus and Cupid with a Satyr - WGA05346.jpg, '' Venus and Cupid with a Satyr'', by Correggio (2,3 & 4) File:Otto van Veen - The Last Supper.jpg, ''The Last Supper'', by Otto van Veen, (4 & 5) File:WILDENS Winter Landscape.jpg, ''Winter Landscape'', by Jan Wildens (5) File:Het Kranenhoofd aan de Schelde te Antwerpen Rijksmuseum SK-A-1699.jpeg, ''Kranenhoofd on the Schelde in Antwerp'', by

Sebastian Vrancx Sebastiaen Vrancx, Sebastiaan Vrancx or Sebastian Vranckx (; 22 January 1573 – 19 May 1647) was a Flemish Baroque painter, draughtsman and designer of prints who is mainly known for his battle scenes, a genre that he pioneered in Netherlandish ...

(5) File:Hendrick van Balen - The Rape of Europa.jpg, ''The Rape of Europa'', by Hendrick van Balen (2 & 3) File:Vincenzo Campi - The Bean Eaters.jpg, ''The Bean Eaters'', by

Vincenzo Campi Vincenzo Campi (; c.1530/1535–1591) was a 16th-century Italian painter working in Cremona during the Late Renaissance. Campi is best known as one of the first northern Italian artists to work in the Flemish style of realist genre painting. ...

(3) File:Guido Reni - Tod der Kleopatra Potsdam Sanssouci.jpg, ''Death of Cleopatra'', by

Guido Reni Guido Reni (; 4 November 1575 – 18 August 1642) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, although his works showed a classical manner, similar to Simon Vouet, Nicolas Poussin, and Philippe de Champaigne. He painted primarily religious ...

(3) File:Domenichino - Diana and her Nymphs - WGA06390.jpg, ''Diana and her Nymphs'', by

Domenichino Domenico Zampieri (, ; October 21, 1581 – April 6, 1641), known by the diminutive Domenichino (, ) after his shortness, was an Italian Baroque painter of the Bolognese School of painters. Life Domenichino was born in Bologna, son of a shoem ...

(3) File:Couple with a mirror by Willem van Haecht.jpg, ''Couple with a Mirror'', (1,3 & 4) File:Felice Brusasorci - Venus in the Forge of Vulcan.jpg, ''Venus in the Forge of Vulcan'', by

Felice Riccio Felice Riccio (1542–1605) was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance period, born and mainly active in Verona. He is also known as ''il Brusasorci'' or ''Brusasorzi'' or ''Felice Brusasorci''. He was the son of the painter Domenico Riccio. H ...

(2,3 & 5) File:Paracelsus.jpg, ''Lost portrait wrongly considered as that of Paracelsus'', by Quentin Matsys (5)

Maecenas

Anberesko katedrala (cropped - Skull plaque for Quentin Metsys)

Van der Geest also functioned as a

maecenas Gaius Cilnius Maecenas ( – 8 BC) was a friend and political advisor to Octavian (who later reigned as emperor Augustus). He was also an important patron for the new generation of Augustan poets, including both Horace and Virgil. During the rei ...

. He arranged for Rubens to get the order for a triptych for the Saint Walpurga church in Antwerp, which resulted in the ''

Elevation of the Cross The Elevation of the Holy Cross ( el, Ύψωση του Τιμίου Σταυρού; also known as the Exaltation of the Holy Cross) is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church, celebrated on September 14. It is one of the two feast days wh ...

'', now in the Cathedral of Antwerp. Similarly, the order for the 1630-1632 ''Triptych of Saint Ildephonsus'', intended for the Saint James church, but now in the

Kunsthistorisches Museum The Kunsthistorisches Museum ( "Museum of Art History", often referred to as the "Museum of Fine Arts") is an art museum in Vienna, Austria. Housed in its festive palatial building on the Vienna Ring Road, it is crowned with an octagonal do ...

in Vienna, was given to Rubens through the influence of Van der Geest. Van der Geest also financed a new memorial for

Quentin Metsys Quentin Matsys ( nl, Quinten Matsijs) (1466–1530) was a Flemish painter in the Early Netherlandish tradition. He was born in Leuven. There is a tradition alleging that he was trained as an ironsmith before becoming a painter. Matsys was active ...

against the tower of the Antwerp Cathedral.
Geschiedenis der Antwerpsche rederykkamers
', chapter 1, ''Geschiedenis der violieren'', by J. B. Van Der Staelen, 1834

Notes

External links

*
Love in the Kunstkamer
' in fine arts magazine ''Tableau'', by

Gary Schwartz Gary E. Schwartz is an American psychologist, author, parapsychologist and professor at the University of Arizona and the director of its Laboratory for Advances in Consciousness and Health. Schwartz researches the veracity of mediums and energy ...

*
Willem van Haecht schilderde in 1628 de constkamer van cornelis van der geest; een multi-interpreteerbaar tijdsdocument
', Dutch article about painting (5) in magazine ''Vlaanderen'', Jaargang 43, 1994 {{DEFAULTSORT:Geest, Cornelis van der 1577 births 1638 deaths Art collectors from Antwerp Flemish merchants Businesspeople from Antwerp 17th-century merchants Paintings of art galleries

Art collection

Maecenas

See also

Notes

External links