Willem Van Aelst

Bio

Van Aelst was among the most cosmopolitan of Dutch seventeenth century still-life painters. Introduced by his uncle and master, Evert, to the Delft guild in 1643, he left for Paris two years later. After six years there he traveled to Italy, arriving in Florence in 1649 and then traveling to Rome before returning to the former as a court painter to Ferdinando II dei Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. Known in Italy as Guglielmo d’Olanda he continued to boast of his French and Italian sojourns by signing “Guglielmo” or “Guillaume” long after his return in 1656/57.