This eminent Dutch painter was born at Amsterdam in 1621. He possessed
extraordinary and varied talents. He painted history, portraits,
landscapes, sea-ports, animals, and dead game, in all which branches he
showed uncommon ability; but his greatest excellence lay in painting
Italian sea-ports, of a large size, enriched with noble edifices, and
decorated with figures representing embarkations and all the activity of
commercial industry. In these subjects he has scarcely been surpassed
except by his pupil, Nicholas Berghem.