Cornelis Ketel

Cornelis Ketel (1548 - 1616)

Cornelis Ketel was born in Gouda in 1548. His first years of apprenticeship were spent in his uncle's workshop. Later he went to Delft and France. In 1573, enjoying his travels, he left for London to paint the portraits of a number of German cloth merchants. This is how he came to paint his striking portrayal of the German cloth merchant, Adam Wachendorff. In 1581 Cornelis Ketel returned to Amsterdam. Here he produced various portraits of Dutch burghers and militia paintings. He also made portraits of his fellow-artists, among whom the goldsmith Paulus van Vianen.