Gaspar was born in
Turnhout on 6 August 1593, the son of
Johannes Gevaerts (1553–1613) and Cornelia Aerssens, whose father had been mayor of
Bergen op Zoom. He was educated by the Jesuits, going on to study the Liberal Arts at
Louvain University. He was briefly in the service of
Benjamin Aubery du Maurier, French Ambassador in The Hague, where he became friends with
Daniel Heinsius, writing an
epithalamium on his marriage. In 1617 he moved to Paris, entering the household of
Henri de Mesmes. In 1621 he was granted a law degree by the
University of Douai. After 1621 he became an important functionary of the city government of Antwerp. He wrote works on poetry and sciences, one of which treats of
Marcus Aurelius. His reputation was known by the Archduchess
Isabella Clara Eugenia and
Emperor Ferdinand III.
Pierre Gassendi's biography of
Nicolas Peiresc mentions that in 1620 he consulted Gevartius, "a famous and (if ever any) a true Schollar", about the
Duke of Aarschot's cabinet of curiosities. He was appointed councillor of state and
historiographer royal by both
Philip IV of Spain and the
Emperor Ferdinand III. On 14 May 1625 Gevartius married Marie Haecx in the church of
St James in Antwerp. Their son died at the age of 12; their daughter married Charles Sivori, whose father, Anthonie Sivori, served eleven terms as mayor of Antwerp. In 1625, 1627 and 1632 he served as secretary to the Antwerp branch of the
Sodality of Our Lady. He was admitted to citizenship of the city of Antwerp on 11 September 1632. He was a personal friend of Rubens, and had a portrait painted by him and
Paul de Vos with a bust of Marcus Aurelius. He took care of
Albert Rubens (1614–1657) when his father was on mission of the Archduke. Correspondence between Gevartius and Rubens is conserved in the
Royal Library of Belgium. He worked together with Rubens and
Theodoor van Thulden on the
Pompa introitus honori Serenissimi Principis Ferdinandi Austriaci Hispaniarum Infantis .... Gevartius received the
tonsure in the chapel of the
bishop of Antwerp on 8 February 1665. He died in Antwerp on 23 March 1666 and was buried in the
Cathedral of Our Lady. == Works ==