Jan van Huysum

1682 – 1749

Dutch painter, with Rachel Ruysch the most distinguished flower painter of his day. He had a European reputation and was much imitated. The light colours he used, the even lighter bakcgrounds, and the openness of his intricate compositions became distinguishing features of 18th century Dutch flower painting. He occasionally painted subjects other than flowers, including a selfportrait in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. His father, Justus the Elder, was a flower and landscape painter and he had three painter brothers: Justus the Younger (c. 1684-1707): Michiel (d. 1759); and Jacob (c. 1687-1740 ?), who worked in England and imitated Jan's style.

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