Born in Antwerp in 1582, he likely spent part of his youth in the Dutch port town of Middelburg, where he first studied painting. Later returning to Antwerp, he was admitted to the Guild of Saint Luke in 1608. Working throughout the first half of the 17th century, Van Hulsdonck helped establish Antwerp as a centre of still life painting, producing works distinguished by their technical precision and quiet elegance.
Van Hulsdonck specialised in carefully balanced arrangements of fruit displayed in porcelain bowls, wicker baskets or on simple wooden tables, often accompanied by delicate flowers, insects or pieces of bread. His luminous handling of light and meticulous attention to detail gives grapes, strawberries, peaches and apricots an almost tangible presence. This remarkable illusion of depth is evident in works such as Wild Strawberries and a Carnation in a Wan-Li Bowl and Breakfast Piece.
Unlike the more elaborate banquet scenes of some of his contemporaries, Van Hulsdonck's paintings are characterised by restraint, harmony and clarity. The artist’s masterful rendering of texture captures the bloom of ripe fruit, the sheen of porcelain and the delicacy of flower petals with exceptional sensitivity, securing his place as a pioneering figure in the development of still life painting.
Although relatively little is known about his life, Van Hulsdonck enjoyed a strong reputation and his refined approach influenced later generations of Flemish and Dutch still life painters. He died in Antwerp in 1647. Today, his works are held in major museum collections, including The Bowes Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Jacob van Hulsdonck (Antwerp 1582-1647)
Apricots, plums and grapes in a bowl and strewn on a ledge, with a vase of flowers
Jacob van Hulsdonck (Antwerp 1582-1647)
Nectarines and grapes in a basket on a table, with plums, oranges, a butterfly and a beetle
JACOB VAN HULSDONCK (ANTWERP 1582-1647)
A basket of grapes and a pomegranate on a table
Circle of Jacob van Hulsdonck (Antwerp 1582-1647)
A basket of grapes, plums and peaches on a ledge
Circle of Jacob van Hulsdonck (Antwerp 1582-1647)
A basket of grapes, plums and peaches on a ledge
JACOB VAN HULSDONCK (ANTWERP 1582-1647)
A basket of grapes and a pomegranate on a table