Gabriel de la Corte was one of a family of Flemish painters who worked in Madrid from the reign of Philip III onwards. He was the grandson of Juan de la Corte and the son of Lucas de la Corte, who was not only an artist but a servant to the ladies in waiting at the Queen's residence. He may have learned to paint from his father, but too little is known about the latter for this to be stated categorically. His grandfather may also have had a hand in his education, as just before his death in 1662 he stated that he was living at the home of his daughter-in-law María de Flores, Gabriel's mother, who was by that time a widow, and appointed his grandchildren as his heirs.
Although there are no written records to prove it, he is thought to have undergone final training at the studio of Juan de Arellano, the most industrious and significant exponent of the subgenre of flower painting within the still-life genre in Madrid from 1650 onwards. This theory is supported by the fact that Gabriel devoted himself to the same themes and used Arellano's models for some objects, especially vases.
In 1667 he married Águeda de los Ríos at the parish church of San Sebastián, which is evidence that by then he had attained sufficient mastery to set up on his own. The little reliable biographical information available records the births of his children Lucas Felipe (1670), Teresa (1673) and Baltasar (1676). Another painter of flowers, Francisco Pérez Sierra, was godfather to his eldest son. Pérez Sierra’s wife and Gabriel's wife were sisters, and the two artists maintained a close friendship. The dates of birth of his youngest children Francisco and Mateo are unknown. In 1680 he was involved in setting up the temporary decorations for the entry into Madrid of Marie Louise d’Orleans, the first wife of King Charles II of Spain. More specifically, he formed a company with Manuel Pérez, Jerónimo Gallardo and Mateo Anguiano to decorate fences and trees and set up lighting in the Plaza del Alcázar. The work was paid for by the local council, which commissioned heraldic and decorative motifs suitable for the occasion. Documentary records and surviving works show that he specialised in decorative themes: garlands, vases and mascarons with flowers. He produced his most representative works after these celebrations, in 1687. They comprise a pair of floral garlands (Madrid, Complutense University) that evidence his role in developing the genre at court. Arellano's legacy is blended with lighter colours and looser brushstrokes that hint at familiarity with artists such as Andrea Belvedere, probably via the works by the latter held in collections in Madrid.
An appraisal of the collection of Manuel Rodríguez de los Ríos, a secretary to the King, carried out in 1690 reveals that De la Corte designed sets of works for wealthy residences in the capital. Specifically, this entailed door-top panels, garlands and even an altar front. Like Arellano, he also worked with fellow artists such as Francisco Antolínez, Matías de Torres and Antonio Castrejón to produce floral edgings for their paintings. Antonio Palomino writes that over-specialisation prevented him from earning enough to maintain his large family. Financial necessity forced him to work for others in multiple collaborations. He even ended up selling his art works on the street. He died before reaching the age of 50. His work and his personality as an artist have been reassessed and documented in more detail since the late 20th century, though there is still a need for a more detailed account of his place in the pictorial art scene of the reign of Charles II.
Gabriel de la Corte was one of a family of Flemish painters who worked in Madrid from the reign of Philip III onwards. He was the grandson of Juan de la Corte and the son of Lucas de la Corte, who was not only an artist but a servant to the ladies in waiting at the Queen's residence. He may have learned to paint from his father, but too little is known about the latter for this to be stated categorically. His grandfather may also have had a hand in his education, as just before his death in 1662 he stated that he was living at the home of his daughter-in-law María de Flores, Gabriel's mother, who was by that time a widow, and appointed his grandchildren as his heirs.
Although there are no written records to prove it, he is thought to have undergone final training at the studio of Juan de Arellano, the most industrious and significant exponent of the subgenre of flower painting within the still-life genre in Madrid from 1650 onwards. This theory is supported by the fact that Gabriel devoted himself to the same themes and used Arellano's models for some objects, especially vases.
In 1667 he married Águeda de los Ríos at the parish church of San Sebastián, which is evidence that by then he had attained sufficient mastery to set up on his own. The little reliable biographical information available records the births of his children Lucas Felipe (1670), Teresa (1673) and Baltasar (1676). Another painter of flowers, Francisco Pérez Sierra, was godfather to his eldest son. Pérez Sierra’s wife and Gabriel's wife were sisters, and the two artists maintained a close friendship. The dates of birth of his youngest children Francisco and Mateo are unknown. In 1680 he was involved in setting up the temporary decorations for the entry into Madrid of Marie Louise d’Orleans, the first wife of King Charles II of Spain. More specifically, he formed a company with Manuel Pérez, Jerónimo Gallardo and Mateo Anguiano to decorate fences and trees and set up lighting in the Plaza del Alcázar. The work was paid for by the local council, which commissioned heraldic and decorative motifs suitable for the occasion. Documentary records and surviving works show that he specialised in decorative themes: garlands, vases and mascarons with flowers. He produced his most representative works after these celebrations, in 1687. They comprise a pair of floral garlands (Madrid, Complutense University) that evidence his role in developing the genre at court. Arellano's legacy is blended with lighter colours and looser brushstrokes that hint at familiarity with artists such as Andrea Belvedere, probably via the works by the latter held in collections in Madrid.
An appraisal of the collection of Manuel Rodríguez de los Ríos, a secretary to the King, carried out in 1690 reveals that De la Corte designed sets of works for wealthy residences in the capital. Specifically, this entailed door-top panels, garlands and even an altar front. Like Arellano, he also worked with fellow artists such as Francisco Antolínez, Matías de Torres and Antonio Castrejón to produce floral edgings for their paintings. Antonio Palomino writes that over-specialisation prevented him from earning enough to maintain his large family. Financial necessity forced him to work for others in multiple collaborations. He even ended up selling his art works on the street. He died before reaching the age of 50. His work and his personality as an artist have been reassessed and documented in more detail since the late 20th century, though there is still a need for a more detailed account of his place in the pictorial art scene of the reign of Charles II.