Cornelis
de Vos, a Flemish artist, was born in Hulst (Zeeland) c. 1584. Nothing
is known about his training and early work; for a time he worked as an
art dealer. Vos was the brother-in-law of Frans
Snyders and was accepted as a master in the Antwerp St. Lukas Guild
in 1608. In 1635, he worked with Jordaens
as assistant to Rubens on the
decorations for the reception of Cardinal Ferdinand. From 1636 to 1638
he worked with Rubens on the decoration of the hunting-lodge Dorre de la
Parada near Madrid. Vos was primarily a portrait painter in Antwerp society
and of family groups. In their restrained elegance and fine observation
of character his portraits approach those of van
Dyck. Among his best works were those of children, e.g. Magdalena
and Jan-Baptist de Vos, which stand out for their freshness
naturalness, and alertness of expression and fine coloring. He is also
known as the author of some religious and mythological pieces. His
younger brother, Paul de Vos (1590-1678) painted animals and hunt scenes.
Cornelis de Vos died in Antwerp in 1651.
