Cornelis van Huynen

Cornelis van Huynen (died 1703) was a Flemish still life painter who is known for his fruit and garland paintings. He was active in Antwerp where he had trained with the prominent still life painter Joris van Son.

Life Information about the life of Cornelis van Huynen is sketchy. The place and date of his birth are unknown. He became a master in the local Guild in the guild year 1661–1662.

Van Huynen was active in Antwerp until 1703.

Work The known oeuvre of van Huynen is very limited. There only signed works are two garland paintings conserved in the Prado Museum. In addition there are two other garland paintings attributed to the artist in the National Museum in Warsaw, which were previously attributed to Catarina Ykens (II). Two pendant works representing garlands of fruit auctioned at Bonhams & Butterfields (San Francisco, California) on 14 May 2003, lot 1026 as attributed to Frans Ykens have been attributed to Cornelis van Huynen by F G Meijer

Van Huynen's works fall into two categories: garlands of fruit and garland paintings. Paintings in this genre typically show a flower or, less frequently, fruit garland around a devotional image or portrait. In the later development of the genre, the devotional image is replaced by other subjects such as portraits, mythological subjects and allegorical scenes.

The two garland paintings in the Prado have a devotional theme in the middle of the garland. The two garland paintings in the National Museum in Warsaw contain respectively portraits of a painter holding a palette and a woman reading. Like his master van Son these garland paintings consist of fruits or a combination of fruit and flowers with the upper part being made up of flowers and the lower part of fruit or vice versa. The fruits and flowers in these compositions are bunched together in groups that are attached to sculptural frames.