Willem Cornelisz Duyster (1599–1635) was a Dutch Golden Age painter from Amsterdam, best known for his “guardroom scenes” (cortegaardje), genre paintings showing the military life.
Duyster’s early training is unknown, but it is likely that he was apprenticed to a painter in Amsterdam. He may have been influenced by the work of Pieter Codde, another Dutch Golden Age painter who specialized in guardroom scenes.
Duyster’s first known paintings date from the early 1620s. These paintings are characterized by their realistic depiction of soldiers and their equipment. Duyster also showed an early interest in depicting the psychological interactions between his subjects.
In the mid-1620s, Duyster’s work began to develop a more distinctive style. His paintings became more atmospheric and his use of light and shadow more dramatic. He also began to experiment with different compositions, often placing his figures in asymmetrical arrangements.
Duyster died in Amsterdam in 1635, at the age of 35. His death was likely caused by the plague, which was a major epidemic in Amsterdam at the time.
Duyster’s work was highly regarded by his contemporaries, and he was one of the most successful painters in Amsterdam in the 1620s and 1630s. His work is still highly regarded today, and his paintings are on display in museums around the world, such as the State Museum, Berlin, Germany; the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis, The Hague, Holland; the State Hermitage, Saint Petersburg, Russia; the Louvre Museum, Paris, France; the Musée de la Chartreuse, Douai, France and the National Gallery, London, England.

“Making Music and Reading a Letter”