Antonie van Leeuwenhoek by Verkolje, Delft, ca. 1670

The Anatomist at work, Delft, 1650

Johannes, or Jan Verkolje (9 February 1650 – 8 May 1693) was a Dutch Golden Age painter.

[edit] Biography

Verkolje was born in Amsterdam. He was a student of Jan Lievens (1607–1674). He is known for his portraits and genre pieces. As a child he had an accident with his heel, so that he needed to lie in bed for months to alleviate the infection. While in bed he took up drawing, and spent the rest of his career learning drawing techniques on his own. When he took art lessons from Gerrit Pietersz van Zyl, he became so good at imitating his style, that Jan Lievens asked him to finish the unfinished paintings he bought from the estate of Gerards after his death. These were then sold as Gerards paintings.

Verkolje died in Delft.

His son and student Nikolaes Verkolje (1673 Delft - † 1746 Amsterdam) was also a painter and made a portrait of Gabriel Metsu.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Johannes Verkolje

[edit] References

• (Dutch) Johannes Verkolje biography in De groote schouburgh der Nederlantsche konstschilders en schilderessen (1718) by Arnold Houbraken, courtesy of the Digital library for Dutch literature