Cornelis Molenaer

Cornelis Molenaer (c.1540–) was a Flemish Renaissance painter.

Biography

Molenaer was born and died in Antwerp. According to Karel van Mander he was called Schele Neel, or "near-sighted Neal". He was a good landscape painter with little feeling for figures. He hired himself out for a day's wages (one daalder) and could paint a complete landscape in one day in the "watercolor way", without a maulstick. For a grassy field he charged 7 stuivers. He enjoyed drinking, which was as usual, blamed on his wife, who would often collect his wages in advance. Works in progress at home were seldom finished, which is perhaps why he became a wage-earner, so that patrons could keep an eye on his work. He was followed by the painter Jan Nagel, who couldn't match his style of landscapes, but was better at figures.^[1]

According to the RKD he collaborated on landscapes with Gillis Coignet and Gillis Mostaert.^[2]

References

1. ^ (Dutch) Cornelis Molenaer in Karel van Mander's Schilderboeck, 1604, courtesy of the Digital library for Dutch literature
2. ^ Cornelis Molenaer in the RKD

• Cornelis Molenaer on Artnet

Persondata
Name	Molenaer, Cornelis
Alternative names
Short description	painter
Date of birth	c. 1540
Place of birth	Antwerp
Date of death	1589
Place of death	Antwerp