| Frans Snyders
(1579-1657)
Frans Snyders was born in 1579 in Antwerp. His parents kept an inn well-known for good food, which many artists frequented. In about 1592-1593, Snyders studied art under Pieter Brueghel the Younger and Hendrik van Balen. He joined the Lukas Guild in 1602 and studied in Italy in 1602-1609. In 1611, he married the sister of the painter Cornelis de Vos. Apart from his domestic scenes, which showed the Mannerist influence, Snyders created two new categories of painting: the hunting still life, such as Wild Boar Hunt (1649), and the "larder" picture, such as Still Life with a Swan (1613-1620), Flowers, Fruits and Vegetables. He excelled as a painter of still life, transformed it into a lively scene, and also produced minutely observed, dramatic hunting scenes. He was one of Rubens' assistants, who employed him as a specialist for animals, fruit and flowers.
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