VERWILT, François
Dutch painter. He was the son of the painter Adriaan Verwilt of Antwerp and was apprenticed to Cornelis van Poelenburgh. He is considered part of the “Poelenburgh landscape school”.
He lived mostly in Rotterdam, but is registered in Zeeland, where he worked in Vlissingen, Middelburg, and Veere. He became a member of the Guild of St. Luke in Middelburg in 1661, and became a member of the Veere guild in 1667, probably to sell paintings in those towns. Most of the pieces currently attributed to him are portraits and genre works, including village scenes of daily life.
He was a versatile painter in many genres. His colours range from the style of Poelenburgh in his landscapes to the chiaroscuro of Rembrandt in depictions of Dutch contemporary life.