town-beadle who was dismissed in 1578 for being a Catholic. His mother, Barber Jacobsdr, (1549-1624) was an appraiser of paintings and goods.

Education and Italy

His apprenticeship was with Gerrit Pietersz Sweelinck, the brother of Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck. Between approximately 1604 and 1607, Lastman was in Italy, where he was influenced by Caravaggio (as were the painters of the Utrecht School