Cornelis Bisschop

Dordrecht 1630 – 1674 Dordrecht

How To CiteLibby, Alexandra. "Cornelis Bisschop." In The Leiden Collection Catalogue. Edited by Arthur K. WheelockJr. New York, 2017.
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A native of Dordrecht, Cornelis Bisschop was born to an affluent family in February 1630. His father, Jacob
Dionys Bisschop, was a tailor and proprietor of a well-known Dordrecht inn on the Wijnstraat, De Pauw(“The Peacock”).[1] His mother, Anneke van Beveren, came from Utrecht.[2] According to Arnold
Houbraken, Bisschop studied with Ferdinand Bol (1616–80), a close associate and former pupil ofRembrandt van Rijn (1606–69). Bol, also from Dordrecht, was living in Amsterdam by the late 1630s, and it
is presumed that Bisschop entered his studio in Amsterdam sometime in the late 1640s. During his time
there, Bisschop likely also met two other Dordrecht artists who had formerly worked with Rembrandt,
Samuel van Hoogstraten (1627–78) and Nicolaes Maes (1634–93).[3] Bisschop returned to Dordrecht by 26
October 1653, the day he married Geertruyt Botland, also from Dordrecht.[4] The couple’s first child wasborn less than six months later, and their family would ultimately grow to include eleven children by 1674,
the time of Bisschop’s early death at the age of forty-four.
Bisschop’s oeuvre consists of religious and mythological paintings, portraits, genre scenes, and trompe
l’oeil images. During the 1650s and 1660s his paintings reflected the influence of Rembrandt and artists in
his circle both in their subject matter and style, which is characterized by a warm palette and rich lighteffects.[5] During the 1660s Bisschop shifted his focus to trompe l’oeil illusionism, perhaps through theinspiration of Van Hoogstraten. Both artists produced chantourné pictures (images cut in the shape of thepersons or objects they represent), and numerous anecdotes exist describing how these illusionistic images
fooled unsuspecting houseguests. According to Houbraken, visitors to Bisschop’s home were even known
to offer tips to one of his dummy boards.[6]Bisschop enjoyed success over the course of his career, and he executed works for both local andinternational collectors. Among his most important Dordrecht commissions was his thirteen-figure portrait of
the regents of the Holy Sacrament Hospital, which he completed in 1671. His work was also sought out by
the French diplomat Bathasar de Monconys (1611–65), who purchased one of his paintings for thecollection of Louis XIV in 1663.[7] Almost certainly because of his abilities in creating trompe l’oeil images,Bisschop was invited by King Charles V of Denmark to become a court painter in Copenhagen in
1674.[8] The artist died before he could travel to Denmark.
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Cornelis Bisschop
Page 2 of 3-Alexandra LibbyEndnotes
1. Clotilde Brière-Misme, “Un petit maître hollandais, Cornelis Bisschop (1630–1674),” OudHolland 65 (1950): 24.
2. Arnold Houbraken, De groote schouburgh der Nederlantsche konstschilders en
schilderessen, 3 vols. (Amsterdam, 1718–21; rev. ed., The Hague, 1753; reprint, Amsterdam,1980), 2:220; For biographies of Bisschop, see also Walter Liedtke, “Cornelis Bisschop,” inDutch Paintings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art , 2 vols. (New York, 2006), 1:35–36; DavidDe Witt, The Bader Collection: Dutch and Flemish Paintings (Kingston, 2014), 62.
3. Werner Sumowski, Gemälde der Rembrandt-Schüler in vier Bänden , 6 vols. (Landau, 1983),
3:1961; Walter Liedtke, “Cornelis Bisschop,” in Dutch Paintings in the Metropolitan Museum ofArt, 2 vols. (New York, 2006), 1:35.
4. Clotilde Brière-Misme, “Un petit maître hollandais, Cornelis Bisschop (1630–1674),” OudHolland 65 (1950): 27.
5. Walter Liedtke, “Cornelis Bisschop,” in Dutch Paintings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art , 2vols. (New York, 2006), 1:35.
6. Arnold Houbraken, De groote schouburgh der Nederlantsche konstschilders en
schilderessen, 3 vols. (Amsterdam, 1718–21; rev. ed., The Hague, 1753; reprint, Amsterdam,1980), 2:220.
7. Bathasar de Monconys, Sieur de Liergues, Iovrnal des voyages de monsieur de Monconys…
(Lyons, 1665–66), 128.
8. Arnold Houbraken, De groote schouburgh der Nederlantsche konstschilders en
schilderessen, 3 vols. (Amsterdam, 1718–21; rev. ed., The Hague, 1753; reprint, Amsterdam,1980), 2:222.

Literature
De Monconys, Bathasar and De Liergues, Sieur. Iovrnal des voyages de monsieur deMonconys… Lyons, 1665–66, 128.
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Cornelis Bisschop
Page 3 of 3Houbraken, Arnold. De groote schouburgh der Nederlantsche konstschilders enschilderessen. 3 vols. Amsterdam, 1718–21; rev. ed., The Hague, 1753; reprint,Amsterdam, 1980, 2:220.
Brière-Misme, Clotilde. “Un petit maître hollandais, Cornelis Bisschop (1630–1674).” OudHolland 65 (1950): 24.
Sumowski, Werner. Gemälde der Rembrandt-Schüler in vier Bänden. 6 vols. Landau, 1983,3:1961.
Liedtke, Walter. “Cornelis Bisschop.” In Dutch Paintings in the Metropolitan Museum ofArt. 2 vols. New York, 2006, 1:35–36.
De Witt, David. The Bader Collection: Dutch and Flemish Paintings. Kingston, 2014, 62.

© 2017 The Leiden Collection