Cornelis Mahu (1613-1689).
Flemish still life painter, master of genre painting and marine painter. Information about his life isn’t complete. All his life he was associated with Antwerp where he was admitted to the guild of painters of St. Luke in 1638. The artist wasnt’ t always original in his compositions, but achieved a high level of painting skill. He was influenced by the Haarlem School of Still Life and such indisputable authorities as Peter Claes and William Klass Head. Like all Dutch still lifes, his works are full of philosophical depth about decay and the vicissitudes of life. In genre painting, he followed the experiences of David Teniers Junior, Adrian van Ostade and Jan Mins Molenar, while maintaining the symbolic and philosophical depth of the paintings. Sea views of Mahu with their heavy clouds and raging sea are similar to the monochrome canvases of Bonaventure Peters. Other nautical works show similarities with paintings by Jan Porcellis.