Het Gulden Cabinet

Het Gulden Cabinet vande Edel Vry Schilder-Const or The Golden Cabinet of the Noble Liberal Art of Painting is a book by the 17th-century Flemish notary and rederijker Cornelis de Bie published in Antwerp. Written in the Dutch language, it contains artist biographies and panegyrics with engraved portraits of 16th- and 17th-century artists, predominantly from the Habsburg Netherlands. The work is a very important source of information on the artists it describes. It formed the principal source of information for later art historians such as Arnold Houbraken and Jacob Campo Weyerman. It was published in 1662, although the work also mentions 1661 as date of publication.

Background
Het Gulden Cabinet stands in a long tradition of artist biographies. This tradition goes back to Pliny and was revived during the Renaissance. In 1550, the Italian Giorgio Vasari published his Vite on the lives of famous artists. Karel van Mander was the first author to introduce this genre in the Dutch language with his Schilder-boeck of 1604. Cornelis de Bie explicitly placed himself in the tradition of van Mander and did what van Mander did for 15th and 16th Netherlandish artists for 17th-century artists.

In his Het Gulden Cabinet, de Bie presents himself as a rederijker whose duty it is to broadcast the fame of the artists. By doing so he followed an existing tradition already seen in Dominicus Lampsonius' 1572 Pictorum aliquot celebrium Germaniae Inferioris effigies and the Antwerp painter and rederijker Alexander van Fornenbergh's 1658 Antwerpschen Proteus ofte Cyclopschen Apelles, which sang the praises of the painter Quinten Matsys.

The concept of Het Gulden Cabinet did not come from Cornelis de Bie himself, but from the Antwerp printer Joannes Meyssens. In 1649 Meyssens had already published Image de divers hommes, which contained engraved portraits of famous men, including painters, in imitation of Anthony van Dyck's Iconography. Most of the artist portraits in Het Gulden Cabinet are taken from this Image de divers hommes and only a few new engravings were made especially for de Bie's work.

General
The full title of the work is Het gulden cabinet vande edel vry schilder const: inhoudende den lof vande vermarste schilders, architecten, beldthouwers ende plaetsnyders, van dese eeuw, which translates as The Golden Cabinet of the Noble Liberal Art of Painting: Containing the Praise of the Most Famous Painters, Architects, Sculptors and Engravers of This Century. Despite its title, the book also deals with artists from the 16th century.

The work was dedicated to the Antwerp art collector Antoon van Leyen who had provided some of the information for the book and may also have helped finance the publication. Other persons who had provided information on contemporary artists included de Bie’s own father, Erasmus Quellinus II, Luigi Primo and Hendrick ter Brugghen’s son Richard.

Structure and style
The book has three parts. The first deals with artists who had died before de Bie's time and relies heavily on van Mander's Schilder-boeck. The second part deals with artists living at the time of de Bie and is mostly based on original research by de Bie and on the comments added to the engravings borrowed from Meyssens' Image de divers hommes. The third part deals with artists who had been omitted in the first two parts and also includes engravers, sculptors, architects, and painters. A general treatise on the art of painting is woven into the entire work.

The book is mainly written in verse, some of them in Latin, and is as a result rather difficult to read today. There are also some prose sections. It is over 500 pages long and contains engravings of more than 50 painters derived mainly from Meyssens' earlier work.

Influence
While The Gulden Cabinet never gained the level of popularity of van Mander’s Schilder-boeck, it is an important source of information on Flemish artists of the 17th century. De Bie’s most important contribution was to provide a theoretical basis for his appreciation of (then) less valued painting genres such as still lifes, genre painting, portraits and landscapes. He unreservedly praised the artists who practised in these genres. Het Gulden Cabinet is included in the Basic Library of the Digital Library for Dutch Literature, which contains 1000 works of Dutch-language literature from the Middle Ages to today, which are deemed by its compilers to be of particular importance to Dutch-language literature.

Second edition
De Bie seems to have planned a second edition of the work, but this was never published. The hand-written manuscript of de Bie is still extant and is kept at the Royal Library of Belgium. The manuscript is dated 1672. In it de Bie mentioned his intention to have a second edition published. The reason why the second edition was never published is unclear. It may have been due to the fact that the publisher and promoter of the first edition Joannes Meyssens had died in 1670 and de Bie had difficulty finding another publisher.

Historical reliability
Like Vasari and Van Mander before him, de Bie's biographies are interspersed with amusing anecdotes. Although such literary motifs belong to a long rhetorical tradition, many of these stories were labelled "historically unreliable" by leading historians in the 19th century. Only recently have some of the stories been reinstated. Since the book was often the only surviving source of information on certain painters, these stories have often been repeated as hard facts about the lives of the painters described.

For instance, Cornelis de Bie postulates certain apprenticeships, which are now considered improbable because the pupil painted in a completely different genre than the teacher. De Bie's statement that Philips Wouwerman trained with Frans Hals was deemed implausible by later historians since Wouwerman painted landscapes with horses and Hals was principally a portrait painter. Some scholars still consider this apprenticeship as unlikely, but in view of Hals' large workshop it cannot be entirely excluded.

Artists in Het Gulden Cabinet, Part I
The engraved portraits included as illustrations in Book I are below, followed by the artists listed in order of appearance in the text. The first illustration is of Antoon van Leyen, to whom the book is dedicated.


 * Adam van Noort	p 37
 * Otto van Veen	p 39
 * Abraham Bloemaert	p 45
 * Tobias Verhaeght	p 47
 * Adam Elsheimer	p 49
 * Guido Reni	p 52
 * Petrus Paulus Rubens	p 57
 * Frans Snyders	p 61
 * Guiliam Nieulandt	p 63
 * Abraham Janssens	p 65
 * Anthony van Dyck	p 75
 * Gillis Mostaert	p 79
 * Pieter Brueghel	p 89
 * Adriaen Brouwer	p 91
 * Gerard Seghers	p 97
 * Lodewijk de Vadder	p 98
 * Wenceslas Cobergher	p 101
 * Jan Antonisz. van Ravesteyn	p 102
 * Palamedes Palamedesz. (I)	p 102
 * Michiel van Mierevelt	p 103
 * Cornelis Schut	p 103
 * Jan Snellinck	p 104
 * Cornelis de Vos	p 104
 * Orazio Gentileschi	p 105
 * Andries van Eertvelt	p 105
 * Adriaen van Utrecht	p 106
 * Willem Backereel	p 108
 * Gilles Backereel	p 108
 * Jan de Wael I	p 108
 * Joos van Craesbeeck	p 109
 * Abraham Matthys	p 110
 * Adam Willaerts	p 111
 * Jean Guiliam Bouwer	p 113
 * Nikolaus Knüpfer	p 115
 * Jan van Bijlert	p 117
 * Jan van Balen	p 119
 * Roelant Savery	p 125


 * Johannes Parcelis	p 126
 * Jan Wildens	p 126
 * Hendrik vander Borght the elder	p 127
 * Jacob Adriaensz Backer	p 129
 * Paulus Moreelse	p 131
 * Hendrick ter Brugghen	p 132
 * Deodat del Monte	p 133
 * Peter vande Plas	p 139
 * Jacques Blanchard	p 139
 * David Teniers the Elder	p 140
 * David de Haen	p 142
 * Vincent Malo	p 143
 * Franciscus Perreer	p 143
 * Jan van Hoeck	p 143
 * Augustijn Brun	p 145
 * Hans Holsman	p 145
 * Frederick Brentel	p 145
 * Jacob van der Heyden	p 145
 * Hesselien (Crabbeken van Amsterdam)	p 145
 * Peeter Meulenaer	p 145
 * Raphael Coxie (son of Michiel)	p 145
 * Spanjolet 	p 145
 * Gillis Peeters	p 145
 * Adriaen van Nieulandt the younger	p 146
 * Remigius van Rheni p 149
 * Peeter van Loon	p 149
 * Padovanino	p 150
 * Lucas Franchois the Younger	p 152
 * Peter Franchois	p 152
 * Peter Soutemans	p 154
 * Pieter Neefs I	p 155
 * Dirck van Baburen	p 155
 * Jan Both	p 156
 * Pietro Testa	p 158
 * Christoffel Jacob vander Laenen	p 159
 * David Beck	p 160
 * Nicolaes vander Horst	p 162


 * Johann Matthias Kager	p 162
 * Theodor Rombouts	p 163
 * Henrick de Clerck	p 163
 * Anthoni Salart	p 163
 * Gerrit van Honthorst	p 164
 * Thomas Willeborts Bossaert	p 166
 * Daniel van Alsloot	p 168
 * Jacques Focquier	p 168
 * Guiliam Mahue	p 168
 * Pieter van Laer	p 169
 * Bonaventura Peeters	p 171
 * Franciscus Wouters	p 174
 * Hendrik Andriessens	p 176

Artists in Het Gulden Cabinet, Part II
The engraved portraits included as illustrations in Book II are below, followed by the artists listed in order of appearance in the text. Book II begins on page 181.


 * Daniel Seghers	p 213
 * Jan Davidsz. de Heem	p 216
 * Peter Snayers	p 220
 * Jacob van Es	p 227
 * Adriaan van Stalbemt	p 228
 * Lucas de Wael	p 229
 * Cornelis de Wael	p 229
 * Adriaan de Bie	p 231
 * Adriaen van de Venne	p 235
 * Paul de Vos	p 236
 * Simon de Vos	p 237
 * Jacques Jordaens	p 238
 * Lucas van Uden	p 240
 * Theodoor van Thulden	p 241
 * Justus Sustermans	p 242
 * Johannes Lievens	p 243
 * Simon Vouet	p 243
 * Gaspar de Crayer	p 244
 * Pieter Jansz. Saenredam	p 246
 * Abraham Willaerts	p 247
 * Jan Thomas van Ieperen	p 247
 * Balthasar Gerbier	p 248
 * Salomon Koninck	p 250
 * Justus van Egmont	p 251
 * Carolus Creten	p 251
 * Leonardus Bramer	p 252
 * Jan van Bockhorst	p 254
 * François Eyckens	p 255
 * Jan Eyckens	p 255
 * Peter vander Borght	p 255
 * Cornelis Poulenbourgh	p 257
 * Ostadi	p 258
 * Herman Swaenvelt	p 259
 * Hans Haringh	p 259
 * Erasmus Quellinus II	p 260
 * Claude Lorrain	p 265
 * Johannes Cossiers	p 266
 * David Bally	p 271
 * Philippe de Champaigne	p 273
 * Alexander Andriaensen	p 273
 * Herman Saftleven	p 275
 * Jacob Sandraet	p 276
 * Gerrit Dou	p 277
 * Jan Weenix	p 277
 * Jan van Bronckhorst	p 278
 * Goovaert Flinck	p 280
 * Pietro da Cortona	p 280
 * Dirk van Delen	p 281
 * Francesco Maltese	p 282
 * Bartholomeus Vander Elst	p 283
 * Jean Francisco Datsent	p 283
 * Abraham van Diepenbeeck	p 284
 * Giovanni Francesco Romanelli	p 286
 * Andreas Vacar	p 297


 * Nicolas Poussin	p 297
 * Peter Danckerse de Ry	p 288
 * Rembrandt	p 290
 * Peeter van Aelst	p 291
 * Albaen	p 291
 * Daniel van Heil	p 292
 * Cavailler Calabres	p 294
 * Giardino di Fiori	p 295
 * Gaspar Du Que	p 295
 * Andrea Sacchi	p 296
 * Bibiano	p 296
 * Michelangelo delle Battaglie	p 297
 * Cornelis Janssens	p 298
 * Jacques d'Arthois	p 300
 * Salvator Rosa	p 303
 * De Colonnen	p 304
 * Jan Benedetti Castilion	p 305
 * Hoscof	p 305
 * Peter van Lint	p 306
 * David Ryckaert	p 308
 * Monsieur Hans	p 311
 * Bernar	p 311
 * Pierre Patel	p 311
 * Nicolaes de Helt Stocade	p 312
 * Karel van Mander III	p 314
 * Dominiquin	p 315
 * Gonzales Coques	p 316
 * Cavailler Massimo	p 319
 * Charles Le Brun	p 319
 * Luigi Primo	p 320
 * La Hiere	p 327
 * Peter Tysens	p 328
 * Lanfranck	p 330
 * Sébastien Bourdon	p 333
 * David Teniers	p 334
 * Johannes Fyt	p 339
 * Robert van Hoeck	p 340
 * Jan Baptiste van Heil	p 342
 * Jan Philip van Thielen	p 344
 * Maria Theresa van Thielen	p 347
 * Anna Maria van Thielen	p 347
 * Françoise Catharina van Thielen	p 347
 * Johannes Coeper	p 348
 * Franciscus de Neve	p 349
 * Pieter Meert	p 350
 * Anthonius Rocka	p 353
 * Jan Peeters (I)	p 354
 * Peter Boel	p 362
 * Johannes van Heck	p 365
 * Gaspar van Eyck	p 367
 * Jan Meel	p 368
 * Cornelis de Heem	p 369
 * Johannes de Duyts	p 370
 * Jan Sibrechts	p 373


 * Joris van Schooten	p 373
 * Lucas Franchois	p 374
 * Karel Dujardin	p 377
 * Carel van Savoyen	p 378
 * Peter van Bredael	p 380
 * Hendrik van der Borcht II	p 382
 * Peter Tentenier	p 384
 * Gysbrecht de Hondecoten	p 384
 * Peter Lely	p 385
 * Cornelis van Berchom	p 385
 * Jan Meyssens	p 386
 * Nicolaes van Eyck	p 388
 * Philippus Fruytiers	p 389
 * Antonius Goebouw	p 390
 * Peter de Witte	p 393
 * Gaspar de Witte	p 394
 * Joris van Son	p 402
 * Frans van Mieris the Elder	p 404
 * Franciscus Verwilt	p 405
 * Jan Baptist van Deynum	p 406
 * Johannes van Kessel	p 409
 * Gysbrecht Thys	p 412
 * Martin Ryckaert p 413
 * Artus Wolffort p 413
 * Geeraert van Hoochstadt p 413
 * Guiliam de Vos p 413
 * Maarten Pepyn p 413
 * Hendrik Berckmans	p 414

Artists in Het Gulden Cabinet, Part III
The engraved portraits included as illustrations in Book III are below, followed by the artists listed in order of appearance in the text. Book III begins on page 419.


 * François Duquesnoy	p 442
 * Bernini	p 445
 * Cornelis Danckerts de Ry	p 446
 * Johannes van Milder	p 448
 * Huybrecht vanden Eynden	p 449
 * Cornelis Cort	p 450
 * Theodorus Galle	p 452
 * Lucas Vorstermans the Elder	p 453
 * Dirck Coornhert	p 454
 * Andreas Colyns de Nole	p 456
 * Carolus de Malleri	p 456
 * Robertus van Voors	p 457
 * Hendrik de Keyser	p 458
 * Claes Jansz. Visscher	p 461 (see note p 524)
 * Jan Sadeler	p 462
 * Raphael Sadeler	p 464
 * Jacobus de Breuck	p 472
 * Jan Witdoeck	p 473
 * Nicolaes Lauwers	p 473
 * Jacobus Matham	p 474
 * Boetius Adams Bolswert	p 476
 * Schelte Adams Bolswert	p 476
 * Johannes Baptista Barbe	p 477
 * Jacques Francquaert	p 478
 * Cornelis Galle the Elder	p 480
 * Cornelius Galle the Younger	p 480
 * Jeremias Valck	p 481
 * Claude Melan	p 481
 * Egidius Sadeler	p 482
 * Cornelis Bloemaert	p 485
 * Mattheus Mereaen	p 485
 * Hendricus Hondius	p 486
 * Egidius Rousselet	p 490


 * Robert Nantuel	p 491
 * Nicolaes Loyer	p 491
 * Pieter de Jode I	p 492
 * Jan Cardon	p 494
 * Jean Le Potre	p 495
 * Paulus Pontius	p 496
 * Johannes Saenredam	p 498
 * Lanfan	p 499
 * Lucas Faydherbe	p 500
 * Michiel Lane	p 502
 * Alexander del Garde	p 503
 * Artus Quellinus	p 504
 * Michiel Natalis	p 507
 * Bertholet Flemael	p 507
 * Abraham Bosse	p 508
 * Perelle	p 509
 * Gerard van Opstal	p 509
 * Pieter de Jode II	p 510
 * Sebastiaen de Neve	p 512
 * M Koesel	p 512
 * Guiliam Gabron	p 517
 * Charles Emanuel Biset	p 518
 * Johannes Wierix	p 520
 * Jeronimus Wierix	p 520
 * Anthonius Wierix	p 520
 * Charles Erpard	p 520
 * François Polly	p 521
 * Nicolaes Polly	p 521
 * Jacques Callot	p 522
 * Leo van Heil	p 526
 * Lenaert van Orley	p 528
 * Theodor Matham	p 528
 * Peter vander Willighe	p 529


 * Peeter Verbruggen	p 530
 * Nicolas Pitau	p 532
 * Jacobus Pitau	p 532
 * Johannes van der Borght	p 532
 * Villamena	p 533
 * Simon Bosboom	p 546
 * Peeter van Schuppen	p 548
 * Francesco Fanelli	p 549
 * Wenceslaus Hollar	p 550
 * Franciscus vander Steen	p 552
 * Lucas Vorsterman the Younger	p 553
 * Jacobus Neefs	p 553
 * Artus Quellinus II	p 554
 * Franciscus Du Sart	p 556
 * Anna Schuermans	p 557
 * Catharina Peeters	p 558
 * Johanna Vergouwen p 558
 * Stephanus de la Belle	p 560
 * Coenrard Lauwers	p 562