He is known today for his art collection. He was portrayed repeatedly by
Anthony van Dyck, including in the 1620
Portrait of Cornelis van der Geest.
Willem van Haecht, whom van der Geest employed as a curator of his collection, painted van der Geest's collection several times, including in a painting showing the visit of the governors of the Spanish Netherlands,
Albert VII, Archduke of Austria and
Isabella Clara Eugenia to the collection (
Rubenshuis, Antwerp). Van der Geest owned two paintings by the prominent Antwerp painter
Quentin Matsys and/or his workshop, one of which, a
Madonna, van der Geest is pointing to in the Rubenshuis painting. Other artworks included in this painting are
Woman at her toilet by
Jan van Eyck, a still life by
Frans Snyders,
Ceres Mocked by
Adam Elsheimer,
Danaë by Van Haecht,
Battle of the Amazons and a portrait by
Peter Paul Rubens,
Pancake bakery by
Pieter Aertsen, a drawing of
Apelles painting Campaspe by
Johannes Wierix and a hunting scene by
Jan Wildens. The painting also shows some of Van der Geest's sculptures, with copies of the ''
Venus de' Medici, the Farnese Hercules, and the Apollo Belvedere''. File:Willem van Haecht - Collection of Cornelis van der Geest with Joseph and Potiphar's wife.jpg|(1) ''Interior of an art collection with Joseph and Potiphar's wife'', , location unknown File:Willem van Haecht - Alexander the Great visits the studio of Apelles N08610-169-lr-1.jpg|(2)
Alexander the Great visits the studio of Apelles, , private collection File:Willem van Haecht (II) - Apelles painting Campaspe - 2.jpg|(3)
Apelles painting Campaspe, ,
Mauritshuis File:Willem van Haecht - Cabinet with Anthony van Dyck's Mystic Marriage of St Catherine.jpg|(4) ''Art Cabinet with Anthony van Dyck's 'Mystic Marriage of St Catherine''', 1620-1637, Mount Stuart Trust File:The Gallery of Cornelis van der Geest.JPG|(5)
Albert and Isabella visiting the Gallery of Cornelis van der Geest, 1628,
Rubenshuis File:Willem van Haecht Władysław Vasa.JPG|Isabella and Archduke Albert, Rubens, van Dyck, mint master Jan van Monfort, Prince Władysław Vasa of Poland (who visited van der Geest's Gallery in 1624, with black hat) and the host showing the Matsys
Madonna File:(^) After Jan van Eyck - Woman at Her Toilet - 1969.83 - Fogg Museum.jpg|
Woman at her Toilet copy after
Jan van Eyck (5) File:En-of atelier Quinten Massys - Madonna and Child - 842 - Rijksmuseum.jpg|
Madonna and Child Kissing by
Quentin Matsys (and/or workshop) (5) File:Ceres en casa de Hécuba (Elsheimer).jpg|
Ceres Mocked, by
Adam Elsheimer and workshop (5) File:Willem van Haecht - Apelles painting Campaspe - detail upper right (cropped Judith and Holofernes after Elsheimer).jpg|
Judith and Holofernes, by Adam Elsheimer (3 & 5) File:Pieter Aertsen - Pancake bakery.jpg|
The Pancake Bakery, by
Pieter Aertsen (5) File:Les pèlerins d'Emmaüs by Paul Bril.jpg|
Pilgrims at Emmaus by
Paul Bril (4) File:Daniel Seghers - Flowers in a Vase.jpg|
Flowers in a Vase, by
Daniel Seghers (2,3 & 4) File:Frans Snyders - Game Larder Still Life Hung Game with a Swan and a Peacock on a Table and a Page Holding a Parrot NTII CCP 533858.jpg|
Game Larder Still Life with a Page Holding a Parrot, by
Frans Snyders (1,2,3 & 5) File:Quentin Matsys-bildnis eines gelehrten-Portrait of a scholar.jpg|
Portrait of a Scholar, by Quentin Matsys (2,3 & 5) File:Quentin Massys 001.jpg|
The Money Changer and His Wife, by Quentin Matsys (3) File:Peter Paul Rubens 185.jpg|
The Reconciliation of Esau and Jacob, by Rubens, (1) File:Peter Paul Rubens - Battle of the Amazons - WGA20302.jpg|
Battle of the Amazons by Rubens (3 & 5) File:Mucius Scaevola vor Porsenna Rubens van Dyck.jpg|
Mucius Scaevola before Porsenna, by Rubens (4) File:Rubens - The Drunken Satyr.jpg|
The Drunken Satyr, by Rubens (2,3 & 4) File:Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), Portrait of a commander, Christie's Images.jpg|
Portrait of a Commander, by Rubens (5) File:Anthony van Dyck - Achilles recognized among daughters of Lycomedes.jpg|
Achilles recognized among daughters of Lycomedes, by
Anthony van Dyck (2) File:Anton van Dyck - Samson and Delilah - Google Art Project.jpg|
Samson and Delilah by Anthony van Dyck (3) File:Sebastiano del Piombo 003.jpg|
Portrait of Ferry Carondelet with his Secretaries, by
Sebastiano del Piombo, (1,2,3 & 4) File:Bernaert van orley (attr.), guerriero romano e servo, 1530 ca. 01.JPG|
Roman Soldier and Servant, by
Bernaert van Orley, (2,3 & 4) File:Apollo Daphne Albani Louvre INV18.jpg|
Apollo and Daphne, by
Francesco Albani, (1 & 3) File:Hans Rottenhammer - Frühling.jpg|
Spring, by
Hans Rottenhammer, (2,3,4 & 5) File:Hans Rottenhammer - Das Jüngste Gericht - 1598.jpg|
Last Judgement, by Hans Rottenhammer, (5) File:Titian - Venus Blindfolding Cupid - WGA22908.jpg|
Venus Blindfolding Cupid, by Titian (2,3 & 4) File:Correggio - Venus and Cupid with a Satyr.jpg|
Venus and Cupid with a Satyr, by
Correggio (2,3 & 4) File:Otto van Veen - The Last Supper.jpg|
The Last Supper, by
Otto van Veen, (4 & 5) File:WILDENS Winter Landscape.jpg|
Winter Landscape, by
Jan Wildens (5) File:Het Kranenhoofd aan de Schelde te Antwerpen Rijksmuseum SK-A-1699.jpeg|
Kranenhoofd on the Schelde in Antwerp, by
Sebastian Vrancx (5) File:Hendrick van Balen - The Rape of Europa.jpg|
The Rape of Europa, by
Hendrick van Balen (2 & 3) File:Vincenzo Campi - The Bean Eaters.jpg|
The Bean Eaters, by
Vincenzo Campi (3) File:Guido Reni - Tod der Kleopatra Potsdam Sanssouci.jpg|
Death of Cleopatra, by
Guido Reni (3) File:Domenichino - Diana and her Nymphs - WGA06390.jpg|
Diana and her Nymphs, by
Domenichino (3) File:Couple with a mirror by Willem van Haecht.jpg|
Couple with a Mirror, (1,3 & 4) File:Felice Brusasorci - Venus in the Forge of Vulcan.jpg|
Venus in the Forge of Vulcan, by
Felice Riccio (2,3 & 5) File:Paracelsus.jpg|
Lost portrait wrongly considered as that of Paracelsus, by
Quentin Matsys (5) File:Willem van Haecht - The Gallery of Cornelis van der Geest (detail of drawings).jpg|Drawing of
Apelles painting Campaspe by
Johannes Wierix (5) ==Maecenas==