(b Antwerp, 2 July 1597; d Antwerp, 14 Sept. 1637). Flemish painter, mainly of religious and genre scenes. He was a pupil of Janssen in Antwerp, then from about 1616 to about 1625 he was in Italy. There his work became strongly Caravaggesque and he established himself as one of the leading Flemish exponents of the style. Later, he fell under the all-pervasive influence of Rubens and his work became much lighter in tonality.
Text source: The Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford University Press)
