Artwork
Pedigree of Filips de Cortewille
Pedigree of Filips de Cortewille is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Unknown. It dates from 1551 and is held in the collection of the Groeningemuseum. The work is an oil painting that presents a central heraldic shield surrounded by an array of subsidiary arms and emblems.
About this work
Overview
The work is an oil painting that presents a central heraldic shield surrounded by an array of subsidiary arms and emblems.
The work is an oil painting that presents a central heraldic shield surrounded by an array of subsidiary arms and emblems. The primary escutcheon is rendered in white, bearing a black charge topped by a gold crown, and is flanked by two golden lions and a white horse with black wings. A banner above the horse carries the name "Corteville" in black lettering, while the surrounding field is an orange ground that heightens the contrast of the heraldic devices.
Subject & Meaning
The composition functions as a genealogical display, likely intended to record the lineage and alliances of the family named Filips de Cortewille. The central coat of arms, with its crown and supporters, signifies noble status, while the surrounding shields—showing varied tinctures such as black and white, red and white, and gold and black—represent related families, marital connections, or territorial claims.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, the painter employs a flat, decorative approach typical of heraldic art, emphasizing clear lines and bold color blocks over modeling or perspective. The orange background serves as a unifying field, allowing the metallic gold of the crown and lions, the white of the horse, and the darker tinctures of the subsidiary shields to stand out sharply.
Context
Heraldic panels like this were commonly produced in the early modern period for display in private residences, civic buildings, or as portable records of noble pedigree. The inclusion of multiple supporters and a banner suggests a formal presentation, possibly commissioned for a marriage, inheritance claim, or the decoration of a family chapel.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
The family shields of Jan Boudaen Courten and Anna Maria Hoeufft
The family shields of Jacobus Loohoff and Johanna Pierraert, 1684
Coat of Arms of Adriana Perez
Coat-of-Arms of the Cervantes Family
Het wapen Verheye
Coat of Arms of Philip, Landgrave of Hesse
Coat of Arms of Jan van Reyersbergh with its eight quarterings
Shield of Jacob of Luxemburg (after 1441-1488), Lord of Fiennes, in his capacity as knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece
Coat of Arms of John Frederic, Elector of Saxony, called the Magnanimous
Het wapen van Susanna van Collen (1692-1745), echtgenote van Jacob Feitama
Wapenbord van de rederijkerskamer Heilige Geest
Shield of Edward IV (1442-1483), king of England, in his capacity as knight in the Order of the Golden Fleece