Georg Geldorp

1590 – 1665

Flemish painter, active in England, part of a family of painters. Born in either Cologne or Antwerp, he was the son of Gortzius Geldorp. He was admitted Master in the Guild of St Luke in Antwerp in 1610. In 1613 he married a daughter of Willem de Vos (active 1593-1629). He came to London from Antwerp in 1623. He painted a number of portraits in the Anglo-Netherlandish style, close in conception to the work of Daniel Mijtens (i) or Paulus van Somer. The most important are those of William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury and his wife Catherine (both 1626; Hatfield House, Herts). The handling is less accomplished and the figures more stiffly articulated than in the work of Mijtens, but the surfaces are decorative and the background of the portrait of the Earl contains an historically important view of Hatfield House with sportsmen in the foreground. Subsequently Geldorp was closely associated with Anthony van Dyck and specialized in copies of his work. He was also involved with Peter Lely. He became, however, increasingly active as a dealer and impresario.

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