Life Otto van Veen

christ in house of martha , mary, c. 1597

van veen born in leiden around 1556, father, cornelis jansz. van veen (1519–1591), had been burgomaster. pupil of isaac claesz van swanenburg until october 1572, when catholic family moved antwerp, , liège. studied time under dominicus lampsonius , jean ramey, before traveling rome around 1574 or 1575. stayed there 5 years, perhaps studying federico zuccari. carel van mander relates van veen worked @ courts of rudolf ii in prague , william v of bavaria in munich, before returning low countries. in brussels, court painter governor of southern netherlands, alexander farnese, duke of parma until 1592, , active in antwerp.

after becoming master in guild of st. luke in 1593, van veen took numerous commissions church decorations, including altarpieces antwerp cathedral , chapel in city hall. organized studio , workshop, included rubens. van veen s connection brussels remained, however, , when archduke ernest of austria became governor in 1594, may have aided archduke in acquiring important netherlandish paintings likes of hieronymus bosch , pieter bruegel elder. artist later served dean in 2 prominent organizations in city, guild of st. luke in 1602, , romanists in 1606.

in seventeenth century, van veen worked archdukes albert , isabella, never court painter. later paintings include series of twelve paintings depicting battles of romans , batavians, based on engravings had published of subject, dutch states general. had 2 brothers painters; gijsbert van veen (1558–1630) respected engraver , pieter amateur. daughter gertruid painter, , uncle of 3 pastellists, pieter s children, apollonia, symon, , jacobus. died in brussels.

arnold houbraken considered van veen impressive artist , scholar of day , put portrait on title print of 3 volume book de groote schouburgh der nederlantsche konstschilders en schilderessen.