Circle Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem
The Last Supper
Oil on Panel
76 x 108 cm.
Private collection
The Last Supper is based on a late 15th-century mural painting by Leonardo da Vinci in the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan. It is one of the world's most famous paintings.
The painting represents the scene of The Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples, as it is told in the Gospel of John, 13:21. Leonardo has depicted the consternation that occurred among the Twelve Disciples when Jesus announced that one of them would betray him. More on the The Last Supper
THE WEDDING OF PELEUS AND THETISTHE WEDDING OF PELEUS AND THETIS, c. 1593
Oil on canvas
246 x 419 cm
Frans Hals Museum
A classical story of the gods: the wedding of the sea goddess Thetis and the human Peleus, to which all the gods were invited except Eris, the goddess of discord. In revenge she threw (above left) a golden apple (of discord) ‘for the most beautiful’ of the goddesses present. The shepherd Paris was asked to choose among them (above right): Hera, who promised him wealth, Athena, who offered wisdom, and Aphrodite, who promised him the most beautiful woman in the world: Helen of Troy. Paris’ choice of Aphrodite was the indirect cause of the Trojan War. The painting was intended as a warning against discord. More on this painting
A MONK AND A NUN, c. 1591
Oil on canvas
116 x 103 cm
Frans Hals Museum
According to legend a nun was accused of having become pregnant. To verify this a monk had to squeeze her breast and if it produced milk she was guilty. But instead of milk she produced wine — the reason for the wine glass on the table. Instead of proving the nun’s guilt the miracle was witness to her faith. Yet the legend may not have been the real subject of the painting. Pictures of amorous monks and nuns were a popular genre in the late 16th century. This may in fact be a satire on the immorality of the cloisters and the Catholic Church. More on this painting
Cornelis Cornelisz. from Haarlem
Monk and nun embrace each other
Oil on oak panel
60 x 49 cm
Private collection
Cornelis van Haarlem
The Choice Between Young and Old, c. 1597
Oil on canvas
73 x 89 cm
Private collection
In the 1580s, Cornelis van Haarlem was one of the principal exponents of the Mannerist style which enjoyed a brief but intense flowering in Haarlem. By the mid 1590s, however, when the present picture was painted, Cornelis's work was shifting towards a more temperate approach. The violent contortions and exaggeratedly muscular nudes which typified his earlier style, gave way in favour of more restful poses and figure types, more akin to classical ideals of proportion and harmony. More on this painting
Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem (Dutch, 1562 - 1638)
Allegory on the Brevity of Life, c. 1617
Oil on panel
47 x 58.5 cm
Statens Museum for Kunst
A young couple, virtually naked, sit in a natural setting, almost like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Absorbed by vanity, they are lost in contemplating their own reflection in a mirror held up to them by a bearded man. The man is Father Time. We see something the young couple do not. Behind them an arrow points directly towards them. The arrow of Cupid? No, of Death. Here Death has not been personified as a skeleton with all its bones picked clean; it is a far more uncanny apparition: a so-called “transi” – a half-rotted corpse. In its own day the painting served to remind observers of the inevitability of death: it comes to us all, young and old, rich and poor, and this is intended to urge us to live in accordance with Christian virtues. More on this painting
The artist returned to Haarlem in 1581, and two years later, in 1583, he received his first important commission for a group portrait of a Haarlem militia company (See below) (now in the Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem). From roughly 1586 to 1591 Cornelis, together with Goltzius and Flemish émigré Karel van Mander formed a sort of “studio brotherhood” which became known as the ‘Haarlem Academy’.
We see a number of naked men falling, shouting and screaming, into an abyss. The figures whirl and spin down towards us, helpless. The artist has done much to showcase his skill in depicting the body from all angles. Having lost the struggle for dominion over earth to the Olympian gods, the Titans are hurled down into Tartarus, an underworld located even further down than Hades in Greek mythology. At the time the painting was created the titans were viewed as symbolic figures representing those who could not control their urges. The figures' genitals are covered by butterflies and dragonflies, which may be symbols denoting homosexuality. The Titans are being cast into the underworld, but here it appears as if they are being cast down to us, and the depiction is full of both intensity and pity. More on this painting
Cornelis painted mainly religious and mythological subjects and portraits, and between 1588 and 1602 produced designs for 22 prints. In the last years of his life he abandoned the life size figures in his work and, instead, chose to paint small scale histories and genre scenes.
This previously unrecorded painting, dating from 1604, is a mid-period work by Cornelis van Haarlem and is characteristic of the moderate classicism which informed his work from around 1600 onwards. It represents a stark contrast to the exuberant Mannerism of his youthful oeuvre, exemplified by his early masterpiece, The Massacre of the Innocents (See below), now in the Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem. More on this painting
Cornelisz. van Haarlem, Cornelis (1562-1638)
Cornelis, Cornelisz. Haarlem van (1562-1638)
The beautiful Bathsheba bathes out of doors assisted by two maidservants. King David spies the young woman from the roof of his palace and instantly falls in love. Although he is not depicted in the painting, David’s presence is suggested by the castle in the distance. Curiously, the servant seen from behind has a male body. More on this painting
Cornelis van Haarlem
The National Gallery
Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem, (1562 - Haarlem - 1638)
In the 1580s, Cornelis, together with the poet, painter and art theorist, Karel van Mander, and the painter and engraver, Hendrick Goltzius, was one of the principal exponents of Mannerism which saw a brief but intense flowering in Haarlem. By the mid 1590s, however, Cornelis’s work was already becoming more temperate, in response to Gotzius’s own rejection of Mannerism. The violent contortions and exaggeratedly muscular nudes which typified his Mannerist period, gave way in favour of more restful poses and figure types, more akin to classical norms of proportion and harmony. More on Cornelis Cornelisz
Cornelis van Haarlem
The Banquet of the Officers of the St. Adrian Militia Company, c. 1583
Oil on panel
135 x 233 cm
Frans Hals Museum
Banquet of a platoon of the St. George Civic Guard, Haarlem. The man at the top left looking at the viewer is a selfportrait of Cornelis van Haarlem, the man below left looking at the viewer is his brother Hans, and the man in the center looking at the viewer is the artist Pieter Pietersz. The man with the flag is Ensign Joost van Heussen. The man in white doublet with left hand touching his heart and right hand shaking hands with the left hand of a man holding his right hand op to swear an oath, is Cornelis Jabosz. Schoudtgen. This gesture in the painting shows a man making a business deal, and it also illustrates the guild rule about the guild's "wijncoop", or wine purchase. According to the saying that is painted on the mantelpiece above which this painting once hung, there shall be no business deals made while in this schutter's hall - if a man regrets his decision the next day, he can be relieved of his promise by making the wine purchase. More on this painting
Cornelis Engelsz (1575–1650)
Feast of the Cloveniers in Haarlem, portraying the men serving from 1615-1618, c. 1618
Oil on canvas
171 cm x 247,5 cm
Frans Hals Museum
In the 1590’s he continued to receive many important commissions from the Municipality and other institutions. Before 1603, he married the daughter of a Haarlem burgomaster. In 1605, he inherited a third of his wealthy father-in-law’s estate; his wife died the following year. From an illicit union with Margriet Pouwelsdr, Cornelis had a daughter Maria in 1611. Around 1630, Maria married the silversmith Pieter Bega, and in 1631/32 their son was born, Cornelis Bega, who became a painter. After a very successful career, Cornelis died in 1638, leaving all the red chalk drawings and half of his estate to his only child Maria, while the other half went to Margriet Pouwelsdr. He had at least nine pupils of whom Gerrit Pietersz Sweelink, Cornelis Jacobsz Delff and Salomon de Bray are the best known.
Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem (Dutch, 1562 - 1638)
The Fall of the Titans, c. 1588-1590
Oil on canvas
239 x 307 cm
Statens Museum for Kunst
Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem, (1562 - Haarlem - 1638)
Venus, Cupid and Ceres, c. 1604
Oil on canvas
96.7 x 109.2 cm
Private collection
A newly discovered work by Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem, this colorful painting interprets the ancient witticism, “Without food and drink, love grows cold.” Venus, Roman goddess of love, is joined by Cupid and Ceres, goddess of grain; Bacchus, god of wine, is present symbolically through the grapes. The supple, translucent flesh demonstrates the interest in naturalism that blossomed in Northern Europe in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, which led artists to work increasingly “from life,” that is, from observation of models. More on this painting
Cornelis van Haarlem
Mars and Venus, c. 1609
Oil on sheet metal
48,8 x 68,8
Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie
Naked Venus lies on a slight hill, leaning against Mars sitting next to her. The lovers are having a conversation, which may be indicated by the goddess's hand raised in a rhetorical gesture. The fact that this is not a serious dispute is evidenced by the behavior of her companion, who embraces her breast in love. Next to them, in a forest clearing, putti belonging to the goddess of love's entourage play with the attributes abandoned by the god of war. They wave a large white banner, play the snare drums, briefly display each other's weapons. A couple in love completely ignores the frolics of this group.
The painting "Mars and Venus" was painted by Cornelis Cornelisz in 1609. It belongs to a group of erotic performances inspired by the mannerist art of the court of Rudolf II. The models were provided, among others, by the works of the imperial court painter - Bartholomeus van Spranger. The artist used themes from ancient mythology as a pretext enabling him to smuggle in erotic content. Following the example of ancient sculptures, they were shown in nudes, exposing the beauty of the human body, but also - stimulating the senses of viewers. Aleksandra Janiszewska
Cornelisz. van Haarlem, Cornelis (1562-1638)
Venus, Bacchus and Ceres, c. 1614
Oil on canvas
154 x 184 cm
Old Masters Picture Gallery
Love can only thrive with wine and good food when rapport and harmony also prevail. This message is conveyed by bringing together Venus, the goddess of love accompanied by Amor, with Ceres, the goddess of fertility, and Bacchus, the god of wine, who is playing a lute. The image was inspired by a proverb, popular in the Baroque period, which was attributed to the Roman comic dramatist Terence. Cornelisz. has arranged the large figures in a balanced composition that seems like a coloured relief. More on this painting
Cornelis van Haarlem
Two Followers of Cadmus devoured by a Dragon, c. 1588
Oil on canvas stuck on oak
148.5 x 195.5 cm
National Gallery
Cadmus, a prince of Tyre, travelled to the Delphic Oracle after his sister Europa was stolen away by Zeus, chief of the Greek gods. There he was told that, instead of searching for his sister, he should ‘follow the cow outside and wherever it rests, build a new city’.
When the cow stopped Cadmus’s followers went in search of water. A dragon was guarding the spring they found; it slaughtered them all. Cadmus managed to kill it, and the goddess Athena told him to sow its teeth in the ground. Armed men sprang from them – and fought each other. Five survived to help Cadmus build the city of Thebes.
Here, the dragon sinks its teeth into a man’s cheek. Its claws seem to tear his flesh, but a closer look reveals that the legs and torso belong to a second person flung across his hips. A glimmer of hope is offered by a distant view of Cadmus fighting the dragon.
Adam and Eve under the tree of knowledge
Oil on copper
14 x 10 cm
Old Masters Picture Gallery
Adam and Eve, c. 1599
Oil on canvas
183,3 x 139
Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie
The first parents were shown next to a tree with the serpent wrapped around the branch. Leafy twigs cover their nakedness only in intimate areas. According to tradition, they are located in the Garden of Eden, with the scene of Eve's creation from Adam's rib in the background. Divine intervention is symbolized by a ray of light descending from heaven. We can recognize several species of birds that inhabit paradise. More on this painting
Cornelis van Haarlem (1562–1638)
Susanna at her Bath, c. 1590
Oil on canvas
Germanisches Nationalmuseum
A fair Hebrew wife named Susanna was falsely accused by lecherous voyeurs. As she bathes in her garden, having sent her attendants away, two lustful elders secretly observe the lovely Susanna. When she makes her way back to her house, they accost her, threatening to claim that she was meeting a young man in the garden unless she agrees to have sex with them.
She refuses to be blackmailed and is arrested and about to be put to death for promiscuity when a young man named Daniel interrupts the proceedings, shouting that the elders should be questioned to prevent the death of an innocent. After being separated, the two men are questioned about details of what they saw, but disagree about the tree under which Susanna supposedly met her lover. In the Greek text, the names of the trees cited by the elders form puns with the sentence given by Daniel. The first says they were under a mastic, and Daniel says that an angel stands ready to cuthim in two. The second says they were under an evergreen oak tree, and Daniel says that an angel stands ready to saw him in two. The great difference in size between a mastic and an oak makes the elders' lie plain to all the observers. The false accusers are put to death, and virtue triumphs. More about Susanna
Cornelis van Haarlem (1562–1638)
Feast of the prodigal son, c. 1615
Oil on canvas
65.5 x 107.5 [98 x 140.5 x 6.5]
Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie
A group of naked figures gathered around a sumptuously set table. Men and women indulge in the pleasures of the flesh. The musical trio, placed deep in the composition on the right, makes their time more pleasant. The scene takes place in the open air at the edge of the forest. The barely visible figure on the left is probably a servant preparing the next dishes. The subject of this composition was interpreted in various ways by researchers. Due to the considerable amount of nudity and eroticism, it was sought to depict a feast of ancient gods or a scene of the fall of humanity that was to precede the deluge. Both paths turned out to be wrong. First, there were no attributes that would allow the characters to be interpreted as individual deities. Second, the fall of mankind required the presence of Noah's ark in the background, heralding the coming flood. More on this painting
Cornelis van Haarlem (1562–1638)
Bathsheba at her Toilet, c. 1594
Oil on canvas
height 77.5 cm × width 64 cm
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Bathsheba
Oil on canvas
102 x 130 cm
Staatliche Museen, Berlin
In this depiction of Bathsheba not only is she completely nude, but so are two of her attendants. This painter's sinuous figures are close to those painted in his Haarlem Academy, in Prague, and in the Loire Valley. Theirs is a figure style derived from the later painters of Fontainebleau. More on this painting
Cornelis van Haarlem
The Preaching of Saint John the Baptist, c. 1602
Oil on canvas
100 x 180 cm
The central character of this painting is hidden in the shadows: a man with long hair and a beard who seems to draw the attention of the people gathered before him. This is Saint John the Baptist, standing on what looks like an improvised pulpit. The large crowd is divided between conversation and close attention to John’s announcement of the coming of Christ. The Gospel of Matthew recounts how people flocked from Jerusalem, Judea and ‘all the region round about Jordan’ to hear John’s message and to be baptised by him. Cornelis took great care to depict a variety of people, some looking like his Haarlem contemporaries, others dressed more exotically.
Cornelis seems to have adopted the large-scale landscape with a biblical subject from the Flemish painter Karel van Mander. The subject of Saint John preaching was popular in Netherlandish art of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, possibly reflecting contemporary debates about open-air sermons by Calvinist preachers. More on this painting
The Massacre of the Innocents, c. 1590
The infanticide in Bethlehem. Massacre outside the gates of the city. Naked soldiers kill the children with knives and swords.
Oil on canvas
height 245 cm × width 358 cm
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
When Herod, the King of Judea, learned that a child destined to become ‘King of the Jews’ would be born in Bethlehem, he ordered the slaughter of all boys under the age of two. The painter portrayed the massacre as a gruesome nightmare. Horror follows upon horror: at lower left a soldier slits a child’s throat, while above them a woman gouges out a soldier’s eyes. More on this painting
Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem, (1562 - Haarlem - 1638)
The Baptism of Christ
Oil on copperHeight: 0.45 m; Width: 0.33 m
Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem, (1562 - Haarlem - 1638)
Louvre Museum
The naked couple is perhaps a symbolic resumption of that of Adam and Eve since Christ by his baptism regenerates and remakes the humanity evoked here by the First couple. - To date around 1599, in the typical calm Mannerist phase that has been that of Cornelis since the end of the 1590s. More on this painting
Cornelis van Haarlem (1562–1638)
The Baptism of Christ, c. 1588
Oil on canvas
Height: 170 cm (66.9 in); Width: 206 cm (81.1 in)
Louvre Museum
The oldest, most Mannerist in style and largest in dimensions of the ten Baptisms of Christ known today in the painted work of Cornelis (among others those of St. Petersburg, 1616, Dessau, 1619, Karlsruhe, 1623, Haarlem, Douai, Mainz, Moscow, etc.), and certainly one of his masterpieces. - Old copy in Utrecht. More on this painting
Christ with the cross and the chalice, c. 1591-1592
Oil on canvas
135,5 x 106 [166 x 134,5 x 9]
Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie
Here Cornelisz represents Christ in his entire form, and without traces of torment on the body, and at the same time seated between the tools of the Passion and biblical prophets. In Cornelis's painting, the clear Catholic meaning of this engraving is suppressed by limiting the details and presenting against a neutral background three key elements of the Passion and Eucharist: the cross, body and blood of Christ (in the chalice). This is probably related to the situation of the artist who, being a Catholic himself, worked in a Calvinist-dominated environment. Even this approach was interpreted as meeting the expectations of not only the Catholic, but also the Calvinist clientele, who could seek to emphasize the purely symbolic nature of the Eucharist and the ritual of receiving it in two forms. More on this painting
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