Cornelis de Man (1621-1706, Dutch) was born in Delft and was part of the Dutch genre painters of the day. After becoming a member of the Guild of St. Luke, for nine years de Man traveled around France and Italy and settled in Rome where he found a rich patron. After returning to Delft, he was recognized as a successful painter of portraits and of commissions for the Dutch East India Company.
De Man remained mostly unknown until 1903 when his works were discovered by the art historian Hofstede de Groot. De Man’s interior scenes of bourgeois Dutch families dating from 1658 reflect the influence of Vermeer and Pieter de Hooch, and a few capture cats in the background to reflect the domesticity of the scenes. Cats and dogs are commonly found in the foreground of these Baroque paintings fighting over food or lurking somewhere on the edges.
Interior of a Townhouse
Interior of a Townhouse, Detail
Woman Sweeping
The Chess Players, c. 1670
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