Cornelis Schut

Cornelis Schut (1597–1655) was a Flemish Baroque painter, draftsman, and etcher active principally in Antwerp. A probable pupil of Rubens, Schut produced altarpieces, mythological scenes, and allegorical ceiling compositions for churches and private patrons across the Southern Netherlands. He spent time in Rome in the 1620s as a member of the Bentvueghels and absorbed Italian High Baroque idioms before returning to Antwerp, where he became a prominent member of the Guild of Saint Luke. His prints and drawings circulated widely and contributed to the international diffusion of Flemish Baroque style.

Schut painted in an exuberant Rubensian manner with swirling compositions, ample figures, and warm, saturated color. His fondness for allegory and ceiling illusionism reflects his Roman experience.

Schut was one of the most prolific second-generation Flemish Baroque painters, and his prints helped diffuse Antwerp's pictorial inventions across Europe.