Cornelis Apostool
Cornelis Apostool: Life, Art, and Diplomacy
Early Life and Education
Born in Amsterdam, Netherlands on August 6, 1762, Cornelis Apostool came from a large family – the eleventh of twelve children. His father, Jan Apostool, was a Mennonite merchant dealing in animal skins and cocoa beans, and his mother was Cornelia de Witte.
He received early education in foreign languages with a French teacher in Delft.
Apostool began an appren
ticeship with a salesman specializing in silver and gold in Rotterdam before pursuing formal artistic training.
From 1784 to 1786, he studied landscape painting under Hendrik Meijer at the Amsterdam Art Academy.
Artistic Development and Early Career
In 1786, Apostool accompanied Meijer to England, where he established himself as an engraver of aquatints. This marked the beginning of his artistic career.
He became Commissary-Ge…
