Matthijs Musson

About 60 painters worked for Musson and Fourmenois including Joos de Momper, David Teniers the Younger, Abraham Willemsens, Victor Wolfvoet II and Willem van Herp.

He gave detailed instructions to his artists and for instance paid Pieter van Lint to make changes to a human figure in one of his paintings.

His style was clearly influenced by his master Rubens in his preference for ornamental opulence, sumptuous still lifes and a dramatic sense of narration.

A work entitled Jesus at the home of Martha and Mary (Collection of the Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria) uses a biblical subject as a pretext to create a sumptuous still life.

His rendition of the vase of flowers in the centre of the composition is reminiscent of works by the Flemish artist Jan Philip van Thielen, for whom Musson acted as a dealer.