Jacob Frans van der Merck - Artist

Born in ‘S-Gravendeel around 1610, Jacob Frans van der Merck was apprenticed in Delft, and subsequently worked in The Hague and Leiden, producing works spread across multiple genres, including portraiture, still life and genre scenes, all completed in the distinctive Dutch manner of the period. The present paintings - According to records, Van der Merck was a member of the painters’ guild in Dordrecht from 1640 to 1649, so around the time this portrait was painted. This engaging portrait displays his highly accomplished and realistic technique much sought after during the period.