Cornelius Jonson Paintings

Cornelius Jonson, also known as Cornelius Janssen van Ceulen, was a portrait painter of Dutch origin who played a significant role in the development of English portrait painting during the early 17th century. Born in London in 1593, Jonson was of Flemish descent, his parents having fled Antwerp for London in the late 16th century to escape religious persecution.

Jonson's early life is not well documented, but it is believed that he trained in the Netherlands, developing a style influenced by the Flemish tradition. He returned to England in the early 1600s and quickly established himself as a sought-after portraitist among English nobility and gentry. His work was characterized by meticulous attention to detail, particularly in the depiction of textiles and lace, which was a hallmark of the Flemish tradition.

He was one of the first English painters to adopt the practice of signing and dating his works, which has provided art historians with valuable information about his oeuvre. Jonson's portraits are known for their restrained elegance and the subtle depiction of his sitters' characters. He was a contemporary of other notable painters such as Anthony van Dyck, who would later overshadow him as the leading court painter.

During the English Civil War, the demand for portrait painting declined, and Jonson's career suffered as a result. In 1643, he left England for the Dutch Republic, where he continued to work as a portraitist in Middelburg, Amsterdam, and eventually Utrecht. He spent the last years of his life in Utrecht, where he died in 1661.

Throughout his career, Jonson's work evolved from the detailed Elizabethan and Jacobean styles to the more fashionable and loose brushwork of the Caroline era. His legacy includes a large number of portrait paintings that provide an invaluable insight into the fashion and personalities of the English upper classes during a transformative period in English history. Jonson's works can be found in various art collections, including the National Portrait Gallery in London and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.