# Cornelis Pietersz. Bega artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/cornelis-pietersz-bega/
Profile generated: 2026-05-16T21:45:00.793Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Nationality: Dutch
- Movements: Dutch Golden Age
- Common media: Oil on panel, Etching, Drawing

## About Cornelis Pietersz. Bega

Cornelis Pietersz. Bega (also recorded as Cornelis Pietersz Begijn) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, etcher, and draftsman active in Haarlem during the mid-seventeenth century. Born around 1631 and dying in 1664, Bega produced a compact but accomplished body of work focused on genre scenes depicting peasant interiors, tavern gatherings, and domestic life. He is recognized as a significant figure among the Northern Netherlandish genre painters of his generation. His prints and paintings are held in major museum collections, and his work is documented by the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History and the Getty Union List of Artist Names. Bega's etchings, in particular, were widely circulated and influential among his contemporaries.

## Common works and media

Bega is most commonly encountered as small-scale oil paintings on panel or canvas depicting tavern interiors, peasant figures, musical gatherings, and domestic genre scenes. His etched prints — often showing similar subjects such as smokers, drinkers, and seated couples — circulated widely and appear frequently in print collections and auction catalogues. Drawings in chalk or wash on paper are also part of his known output. Works are typically modest in size, consistent with the cabinet-painting tradition of the Dutch Golden Age.

## Market and appraisal context

Bega's works appear at auction primarily in Old Master Paintings and Old Master Prints and Drawings categories. His relatively short career resulted in a limited oeuvre, which can make securely attributed pieces comparatively scarce. Oil paintings on panel tend to carry greater auction interest than his more widely available etchings. Collectors should consider attribution verification through RKD records or museum provenance, condition given the age of the works, and the distinction between original paintings, contemporary prints, and later impressions. Comparable auction results from specialist Old Master sales are the most reliable gauge of current market levels.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine identity research from library authority files and museum databases with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For Cornelis Pietersz. Bega, identity data is grounded in the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History, Getty ULAN, VIAF, and Wikidata authority records, supplemented by biographical context from encyclopedia sources.

## Sources

- RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/5940
- VIAF (Virtual International Authority File): https://viaf.org/viaf/8181099/
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500118926
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q421775
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelis_Pietersz_Bega