Charles Cornelisz. de Hooch (c.1600 – 1638)

• Was a Dutch Golden Age landscape painter and etcher.
• He became known as Karel de Hooge from being listed in Samuel Ampzing's lof der Haerlem as a painter of ruins.
• He is best known today for his so-called grotto paintings.
• Grotto painting as an independent genre was probably initiated by a group of followers of Cornelis van Poelenburch, which included De Hooch along with Abraham van Cuylenborch and Dirck Stoop.
• His life can thus be divided in his Haarlem period (from birth up until at least 1628) and his Utrecht period (From 1628 up until his death in 1638).
• In Utrecht he belonged to a group of painters that included Bartholomeus Breenbergh, Abraham van Cuylenburch, Rombout van Troyen and P. van Hattick.
• Charles Cornelisz. de Hooch was married to Claesgen van Thiel and they had one son Horatius who in turn married Wilhelmina van Swoll.
• After he donated a painting to the ‘St. Jobs Gasthuis’ in 1628, he was introduced into the Utrecht Guild of St. Luke in 1633.
• Charles Cornelisz. de Hooch is not the father of the famous painter of interiors Pieter de Hooch, as is often mentioned.
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