Cornelis de Man facts for kids
Cornelis de Man (born July 1, 1621, in Delft – died September 1, 1706, in Delft) was a talented painter from the Dutch Golden Age. This was a time when Dutch art was very famous and important.
Biography of Cornelis de Man
When Cornelis de Man was a young man, he wanted to see the world. He wasn't happy just staying in his hometown of Delft. He dreamed of traveling far away.
As soon as he was old enough, he left Delft. He spent a year in Paris, France. He was able to pay for his travels by selling his paintings.
In 1642, Cornelis became a member of the Guild of St. Luke in Delft. This was a special group for artists. After Paris, he traveled to Italy. He was welcomed in Paris, but he soon left for Lyon. From there, he crossed the mountains to Italy before winter arrived.
He lived in Florence for two years. There, he found a rich person who supported his art. But he stayed the longest in Rome, a very important city for artists. On his way back home, he visited Venice. In total, Cornelis de Man was away from home for nine years!
He returned to Delft in 1653. He stayed there for the rest of his life. He painted many everyday scenes, which are called "genre works." These paintings are often compared to the style of another famous Dutch painter, Pieter de Hooch.
Cornelis de Man's Career in Delft
Cornelis de Man became a very successful painter in Delft. He painted a special group portrait for the Anatomy guild in his city. This was a very important job.
He also created a famous painting for the Noordsche Compagnie in Amsterdam. This company was a northern part of the Dutch East India Company. His painting was quite unusual. It showed a factory in Spitsbergen, which is a group of islands in the Arctic.
What's interesting is that Cornelis de Man never actually traveled to the Arctic! He based his painting on an original Danish artwork. He added many details about the Arctic to make it look real. He never went further north than Denmark.
