17^th Century Spanish

Painter of historical and mythological themes, religious works, military subjects and perspective drawings.

Though of Flemish origin, we know that he was well settled in Madrid by around 1613. While little is known of his youth in Flanders, he was probably trained there within the tradition of landscape and battle painting.

He was entrusted with a large number of commissions of that kind at the Spanish court, and even collaborated with Diego Velázquez in a large war painting for the Buen Retiro palace.

In spite of the fact that his painting style was already viewed as archaic by his coevals, owing to its aridness and meticulousness, his devotion to profane genres and his Mannerist treatment of landscape and architecture earned him a reputation among aristocratic patrons. In 1627 his application to the post of king’s painter, left vacant after the death of Bartolomé González, was turned down.