Who painted A Hanging Wall Pouch?

A Hanging Wall Pouch was painted by Cornelis Norbertus Gijsbrechts.

Where can I see A Hanging Wall Pouch?

A Hanging Wall Pouch is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is A Hanging Wall Pouch?

A Hanging Wall Pouch is associated with Baroque.

Can I buy a print of A Hanging Wall Pouch?

Museum-quality prints of A Hanging Wall Pouch are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

A Hanging Wall Pouch

Cornelis Norbertus Gijsbrechts

A Hanging Wall Pouch is an oil painting by the Baroque artist Cornelis Norbertus Gijsbrechts. It is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:On the almanac on the top pouch: Alter und Neuer/Jahr nach der heilsamen Geburt un/sers herrn und Erlösers Jesu Christi/M. D. LXXVII/ Durch On a letter in the second pouch: Monsieur/ Mons. Joh: Ferdinand. On a ltter in the third pouch: Herrn Johann Schön-.../...Mah-/ Aügspürg On a letter in the bottom pouch: [Mon]suer/ [mon]s. Cornelius Norbertus Gisbrechts/...Ihr Königl[icher] [may]tt bestellter Hoff-Mahler,/grgl.[...]plaü

About this work

Overview

Cornelis Norbertus Gijsbrechts painted A Hanging Wall Pouch around 1677. Executed in oil on panel with a mirrored glass surface, the work is part of the National Gallery of Art’s collection in Washington, D.C. The composition centers on a blue wall pouch suspended from a green‑tied ribbon, its interior revealing a small assortment of everyday objects.

Subject & Meaning

The pouch opens to display a mirror, a feather, a comb, and a handful of letters sealed with red wax. By arranging these items within a confined space, Gijsbrechts invites contemplation of personal correspondence and the material culture of the seventeenth century, while the mirror subtly incorporates the surrounding room into the scene.

Technique & Style

Gijsbrechts employs a meticulous chiaroscuro, using light to model the pouch’s fabric and the reflective surface of the glass. The careful rendering of textures, silky ribbon, smooth glass, feathered plume, creates a convincing three‑dimensionality. The painter’s handling of oil on panel allows fine detail in the seals and the subtle gradations of shadow that enhance realism.

History & Provenance

Created circa 1677, the painting entered the National Gallery of Art’s holdings in the twentieth century, though earlier ownership records are sparse. Its attribution to Gijsbrechts, a Flemish artist known for trompe‑l’œil and illusionistic works, aligns with his broader oeuvre of deceptive visual tricks.

Context

The work belongs to a period when Dutch and Flemish painters explored objects as subjects, often to showcase technical skill or to comment on the ephemerality of material possessions. Gijsbrechts’ focus on a domestic pouch reflects contemporary interests in personal belongings and the act of reading letters, a common theme in late‑seventeenth‑century genre painting.

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Artist & collection

Artist

Cornelis Norbertus Gijsbrechts

Cornelis Norbertus Gijsbrechts (1625/1629 – after 1675), was a Flemish painter who was active in the Spanish Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Sweden in the second half of the seventeenth century.