Still-Life of Flowers in a Woven Basket

Gabriel de la Corte was one of the principal flower painters working in Madrid during the second half of the 17th century. His technique is markedly different from that of his contemporary Bartolom� P�rez and the older Juan de Arellano, for rather than adhering to the tradition of the great Flemish still-life painters in their precision of detail, his brushwork is at once more spirited and schematic..

Unlike Juan de Arellano and Bartolom� P�rez, De la Corte did not enjoy royal patronage at the court and as a result had to make a living selling his works in the shops of Madrid. According to Palomino he contributed the flower garlands to the work of artists such as Antonio Castrej�n and Mat�as de Torres and a large body of his known oeuvre consists of floral and architectural decoration, probably painted to adorn the grand houses of Madrid (which out of context today perhaps no longer retain their original impact and effect).