He was probably a pupil of Pieter de Bloot. After working in his hometown, he went to Dordrecht from 1633 to 1634. He returned to Middelburg in 1638 and lived there until his death.[1] In 1640, he and David Teniers the Younger worked together on a painting in Antwerp.[2]
In 1642, he married the Burgomasters daughter and moved into their home, which is now a museum dedicated to him.[2]
He was primarily known for his paintings of rural life, but also produced Italian-style landscapes and religious works. At the beginning of his career, he also painted animals.[2] A large number of his works in Berlin, Saint Petersburg and Budapest were destroyed during World War II.[1] Only twenty of his works are known to exist. These may seen at (among others) the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dunkerque [fr], the National Museum, Warsaw and the Musée Fabre in Montpellier.
He was a follower of Willem Buytewech and Aelbert Cuyp and was influenced by Adriaen van de Venne. In turn, he influenced Philips Angel I.[1] Some of his still-lifes were attributed to Frans Hals the Younger, due to a mistaken interpretation of his convoluted monogram. In fact, no works by Hals have been identified with any certainty.
Among his pupils were Laurens Bernards (c.1630-1676)[1] and, possibly, Willem Kalf.[2]
