The son of a mason who made monuments in stone, Nicholaes Eliasz. Pickenoy may have studied painting with a leading portraitist in Amsterdam who was influenced by the rich colors and textures of painting in Antwerp. Though he painted other subjects, by 1624 Pickenoy was one of the most sought after portraitists in Amsterdam, a stature he retained until the arrival of young Rembrandt van Rijn. Late
