In the 17th century, Jacob van Oost I was the most prominent painter in Bruges. He spent several years in Italy, where he was heavily influenced by the work of Caravaggio. In the spirit of the Counter Reformation, Van Oost painted numerous altarpieces for Bruges’ churches and monasteries. In addition, he worked as a portrait painter to the bourgeoisie. His son Jacob van Oost II also made his name as a Bruges portraitist and history painter.
Flemish Baroque painting exhibits a pronounced tendency towards specialisation. In the major art centres of Antwerp and Brussels, certain artists turned to monumental history paintings: historical, Biblical or mythological scenes.
Other painters specialised in portraits, landscapes, paintings of everyday scenes – known as genre paintings – or still lifes. Painters became masters of various sub-genres, such as the flower piece, the fruit still life, the animal piece, or the trompe l’oeil still life, into which vanitas symbolism, or symbols of transience, were incorporated.
The various genres were popular with collectors and featured prominently in their art displays and chambers of wonders.