Painter and engraver Cornelis Apostool was born on August 6, 1762, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the eleventh of twelve children born to Jan and Cornelia Apostool. Cornelis's early education inclued several foreign languages with a private tutor, and he apprenticed as a silver and gold smith until he was old enough to attend art school. He studied landscape painting under Hendrik Meijer, then traveled to England to study engraving and aquatint in 1786.

While he developed his art career, Apostool worked as a Dutch diplomat and as the Commissary-Gerneral of Commerce in London. He was the chief negotiator for the exchange of prisoners on behalf of the Batavian Republic after the Batavian Revolution. He remained in London until 1796 when he returned to his homeland, working as an illustrator for the Agency of Interior Police and Water Management, and later the Council of Interior Affairs.

In addition to a successful career as an artist, he was the first director of the Riljksmuseum upon its relocation to Amsterdam in 1808, a position he held until his death. He was also an elected memeber of the Royal Institute of the Netherlands.

Apostool died on February 10, 1844 in Amsterdam.