Brief Biography-An artist of the Dutch Golden Age, Cornelius Bega was a native of Haarlem and the son of a wealthy goldsmith, Pieter Jansz Begijn. He received instruction from Adriaen Jansz van Ostade, a master who influenced him greatly.
His career was a substantial success, and his works were equal to that of the best artists of the Low Countries. He became a member of the Guild of Saint Luke. The artist Jan Steen was a follower of his work.
In later years, his pursuit of a dissipated life, despite objections from his father, led him to be disowned by him. The result was that he shed his father’s name and used the name of Bega. He signed his work Bega from that time on instead of the former Begijn.
The woman he was deeply in love with caught the plague. Against all advice from his doctor and friends, he stayed with her until her end. Within a few days, he also died of the epidemic.