acob Toorenvliet
(Leiden 1640 - Oegstgeest 1719)
An Allegory of the Arts, or ‘Painting being Crowned by Poetry’
Biography
Toorenvliet was born Leiden, the eldest son of Abraham Toorenvliet (1620-1692), a glass painter and drawing instructor. Although it is thought that he received some training from his father, Jacob received the bulk of his artistic education from Gerrit Dou (1613-1675), which he probably finished towards the end of the 1650s. Toorenvliet led an active life, working in a number of cities throughout his career, mainly throughout Italy and the Netherlands. However, he continued to return to his native Leiden throughout his life and seems to have settled there permanently in by 1686.