Joannes Cordua (c.1630-1702)

Joannes de Cordua was a Flemish painter active mainly in Vienna and Prague. He is primarily known for his still lifes, but he also painted portraits and biblical themes. The scene shows a coppersmith hammering out a pan in his workshop. The color palette is dark, in shades of brown. Light flows into the room from the left through the window. The man is fully focused on his work. Scattered around him are various finished pans and pots, creating brilliant lighting effects in the otherwise dark composition. Signed lower right.