Cornelis Huysmans

Cornelis Huysmans (baptized 2 April 1648 in Antwerp; died 1 June 1727 in Mechelen) was a Flemish landscape painter who was active in Antwerp, Brussels and Mechelen. Huysmans held a foremost position in Flemish landscape painting in the late 17th and early 18th century and was particularly known for his pseudo-Italianate landscapes with mountains in the background, which show the influence of Nicolas Poussin and Jacques d'Arthois.

Life Cornelis Huysmans was born in Antwerp to Hendrik Huysmans and Catharina van der Meyden (sometimes also referred to as 'Catharina van der Heyden'). His father's profession has been variously described as that of a 'bouwmeester' During a stay in Antwerp in 1681 the artist declared that he was at the time living in Brussels. From about 1686 to 1688, Cornelis Huysmans stayed in London where he appears to have enjoyed the patronage of prominent members of society. He created several large format landscapes for the London market.

Unlike Jacques d'Arthois, Huysmans bathed his landscapes in a warm, Italian light. The decidedly Mediterranean appearance was further emphasized through his choice of vegetation and architecture, which had a southern flavour. Huysmans thus succeeded in giving his landscapes an air of grandeur.

His works are in the collections of various museums including the Louvre in Paris (eight works), the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden, the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh, the Musée Fabre in Montpellier, the Museum of modern art André Malraux - MuMa in Le Havre, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp, the Musée des beaux-arts de Valenciennes and others.