Gysbrecht Thys

Gysbrecht Thys or Gysbrechts Thys (baptized on 20 January 1617, Antwerp – after 1661) was a Flemish painter active in Antwerp known for his religious and mythological works as well as for his nudes. He also painted landscapes. Very few paintings have been attributed to the artist to date.

Life Very little is known about the life of Gysbrecht Thys. He was born in Antwerp. It is believed he was a cousin of the more famous history and portrait painter Pieter Thijs. He married Catharina Lodewijcx on 20 January 1650.

A work sold as a Bacchanal but now identified as a representation of the Golden Age is signed and dated '... THYS F. 1653' (At Artcurial on 26 March 2014, lot 121). The Louvre has a photo on file of a painting of the artist, the location of which is unknown. This lost painting shows many similarities in style and in the figures with the composition depicting the Golden Age. Garland paintings were typically collaborations between a still life and a figure painter. The Stone cartouche with a depiction of the Madonna and Child and John the Baptist surrounded by bouquets of flowers and fruits (At Koller Auktionen on 23 March 2018, Zurich, lot 3036) is an example of a collaboration on a garland painting by Thys and the Antwerp still life painter Joris van Son.