Cornelis Massijs

Cornelis Massijs[1] (1508, Antwerp – c. 1556, unknown), was a Flemish Renaissance painter, draughtsman and engraver, mainly known for his landscapes and, to a lesser extent, genre scenes and portraits.

He was admitted together with his brother Jan, as a master in the Antwerp Guild of St. Luke in 1531, a year after his father's death.

This painting shows Cornelis to be an accomplished painter of fantastic landscapes in the style of Joachim Patinir, but a little stiff in the execution and with clumsy figures.

He also produced engravings of biblical stories and genre scenes with a moralising intent.

[6] His graphic work introduced a wide range of religious and moralizing themes into Northern art.

He made a few portraits, among them his engravings of Peter Ernst I von Mansfeld-Vorderort and his wife and of Henry VIII engraved in 1544 and printed in 1548, which are the main reasons why it is assumed Cornelis spent time in Germany and England.