Cornelius Johnson

Johnson was born in London to parents who had migrated from Germany/Flanders. Although his early life is not well documented, he was baptized in 1593 and the first record of him is in 1619, when he arrived in London from Amsterdam. The style and quality of his paintings indicate that he may have received some training in the Netherlands.

By the 1620s, he had established a studio in Blackfriars, London, where he created exquisite portraits of the upper classes, merchants, and courtiers. Johnson was known for his meticulous attention to detail, especially in the portrayal of clothing and jewelry. In 1632, he was appointed as "Picture drawer" to Charles I, serving as a "his Majesty's servant."