ra its . ▁W ishing ▁to ▁contribute ▁to ▁the ▁rev ival ▁of ▁painting ▁in ▁Fland ers , ▁he ▁took ▁his ▁insp iration ▁from ▁the ▁classical ▁trad itions ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century ▁and ▁drew ▁insp iration ▁from ▁Rap ha el . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁thus ▁a ▁prom oter ▁of ▁Ne oc lass ic ism ▁in ▁F lem ish ▁art . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁teacher ▁and ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Academy ▁of ▁Fine ▁Arts ▁of ▁Ant werp . ▁L ens ▁was ▁court ▁painter ▁to ▁the ▁governor - general ▁of ▁the ▁Aust rian ▁Netherlands ▁and ▁settled ▁in ▁Br uss els ▁where ▁he ▁married . ▁ ▁Life ▁And ries ▁Corn el is ▁L ens ▁was ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Cor ne ille ▁L ens ▁and ▁Mag dal ena ▁S la ets . ▁ ▁His ▁father ▁was ▁originally ▁from ▁T il ff ▁near ▁Li ège , ▁a ▁Wal lo on ▁city ▁then ▁in ▁the ▁Prince - B ishop ric ▁of ▁Li ège . ▁ ▁His ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁flower ▁painter ▁and ▁g ilder ▁who ▁had ▁moved ▁to ▁Ant werp ▁at ▁a ▁young ▁age . ▁ ▁Here ▁he ▁had ▁joined ▁the ▁local ▁Gu ild ▁of ▁Saint ▁Luke . ▁ ▁Cor ne ille ▁L ens ▁became ▁the ▁de an ▁of ▁the ▁Gu ild ▁but ▁often ▁had ▁conflicts ▁with ▁the ▁Gu ild . ▁And ries ▁Corn el is ▁L ens ▁started ▁his ▁art istic ▁training ▁with ▁the ▁painter ▁Care l ▁Y kens ▁the ▁Young er . ▁After ▁Y kens ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 7 5 3 ▁he ▁continued ▁his