Dirck Dalens the Elder

Dirck Dalens the Elder (c. 1600, Dordrecht – 1676, Zierikzee) was a Dutch Golden Age painter.

In 1636 he received permission to sell 80 paintings on the condition that he leave the city for two years.

[1] The same year he claimed the guild forced him to sign the contract and thanks to his father-in-law vouching for him in the city council he was allowed to return to The Hague in 1637.

In 1658 he married for the second time and in the same year he was one of the founders of the Confrerie Pictura.

[1] In 1676 he fled to Zierikzee after accusations of incest with his 17-year-old daughter Maria from his second marriage.