Cornelius Norbertus Gijsbrechts - Cabinet in the Artist’s Studio[1670-71]

Cornelius Norbertus Gijsbrechts - Cabinet in the Artist’s Studio [1670-71], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

There’s a lot we don’t know about Gijsbrechts (c.1610 - after 1675). We don’t know when he was born or when he died, neither do we know anything about his familial relations or his educational background. We don’t know which town he came from, but Antwerp is the most likely. In the heap of paintings, painter's tools and a flower-patterned table-cover in the artist's studio, Gijsbrechts describes himself as an artist, the way he wishes to be known to the world. He is not physically present in the picture, but then again, in a way he is. Because actually, he is in there as a discreet but also insisting presence, who observes us from a small portrait, nailed onto the back wall of the studio - from a picture within the picture.