Jacob van Loo

Jacob van Loo (1614–1670) was a prominent Dutch Golden Age painter, celebrated for his refined history paintings, mythological subjects, and portraits. Born in Sluis, he likely received his earliest training from his father, who was also a painter. By the mid-1630s, van Loo had settled in Amsterdam, where he established himself among the city’s leading artists, working alongside figures such as Rembrandt and Bartholomeus van der Helst. He gained particular renown for the elegance and sensuality of his nudes—often drawn on blue paper—and for his skillful compositions depicting biblical and classical themes. His circle of patrons included wealthy merchants and civic leaders, and his influence extended to younger painters, including Johannes Vermeer. In 1660, van Loo fled the Dutch Republic after killing a man during an altercation, and he was sentenced to death in absentia. He relocated to Paris, where his reputation continued to flourish, and in 1663 he was admitted to the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture. Van Loo became the patriarch of a dynasty of painters who would remain influential in France well into the 18th century. He died in Paris in 1670, three years after becoming a naturalized French citizen