Jan Asselijn Painting by Paul Meijering

About "Jan Asselijn Painting"

by Paul Meijering

About the artwork

Realistic painting in acrylic, painted by artist Paul Meijering, of Jan Asselijn featuring his most famous work.

There is confusion about where Asselijn was born. Besides Dieppe, Utrecht and Cologne are also mentioned. From 1621, perhaps also later, he lived in Amsterdam, where he was a pupil of Jan Martszen de Jonge or Esaias van de Velde. His earliest known work dates from 1634. On 4 November 1635, he is still mentioned in Amsterdam as a christening witness, before leaving for Italy via France later that year. From about 1635 to about 1644, he lived in Rome. Here he became a member of the Bentvueghels, an association of mainly Dutch and Flemish artists active in Rome, from whom he was nicknamed "Crabbetje". His fingers were so crooked that he could barely hold a palette!

From 1644 to 1645, he lived in the French city of Lyon, where he married Antonette Huwaart (or Houwaart), an Antwerp native. Nicolaes de Helt Stockade became his brother-in-law. In 1646, according to a diary entry by Willem Schellinks, he stayed in Paris from 10 August that year. In April and July 1647, he is again mentioned in Amsterdam, and a year later he had a child baptised in the Nieuwe Kerk. He taught Frederik de Moucheron and became acquainted with Rembrandt van Rijn. Asselijn lived at Singel 286 in a house he rented from mayor Antonie Oetgens van Waveren.

Asselijn painted the breach of the Sint Antoniesdijk in March 1651[2] and the fire of the town hall on Dam Square on 7 July 1652. He had become a citizen on 24 January and drew up his will on 28 September. He died a few days later. Asselijn was buried on 3 October.