born June 9, 1597, Assendelft, Neth.
buried May 31, 1665, Haarlem
Dutch painter.
Son of an engraver, he became a friend of the architect Jacob van Campen (15951657), which may have influenced him to specialize in architectural painting. A pioneer of the "church portrait," he was the first Dutch artist to abandon the Mannerist tradition of fanciful invention in architectural painting in favour of a new realism in rendering specific buildings. His paintings of church interiors show a scrupulous precision and convey a majestic spaciousness and serenity.