Hendrick Maertensz. Sorgh

1610 – 1670

Hendrick Maertensz. Sorgh (Sorch; de Sorch), Dutch painter. His father, Maerten Claesz. Rochusse (or Rokes), a market bargeman, was nicknamed 'de Sorch' (Dut.: 'careful') after his manner of handling cargo; Hendrick Sorgh held the official post of market barge captain for the Rotterdam-Dordrecht line from 1638 until his death. According to Arnold Houbraken Sorgh studied in Antwerp under David Teniers the Younger and in Rotterdam under Willem Buytewech. Although there is little documentary evidence to support either apprenticeship, Teniers' was to remain a lasting influence upon Sorgh throughout his career both in style and choice of subject matter. Sorgh returned to Rotterdam by 1630, where he is recorded as drawing up his will. It would appear that he remained for the rest of his career in Rotterdam where he became one of the leading proponents of genre painting along with his contemporaries, the two Saftleven brothers, Cornelis and Herman . By 1637 Sorgh is listed as a master of the Guild of Saint Luke in Rotterdam, and in 1669, the year before his death, he was appointed as Dean of the Guild.

View all works →