Guillam Forchondt the Elder

[3] Melchior the Elder made his name dealing in ebony cabinets that were decorated with oil paintings, that he commissioned from members of the Antwerp Guild of St. Luke.

The couple had 8 children among whom are known: With the help of this network of family connections in Europe Forchondt was able to turn his father's business into an international art and luxury goods enterprise.

Around 1700 Hans-Adam I, Prince of Liechtenstein acquired from the Forchondt firm two masterpieces of Rubens: the Massacre of the Innocents and Samson and Delilah.

The group works created under the direction of the Forchondt firm played an important role in the spread of paintings on copper in Mexico where they were exported through Spain's trade with Latin America.

[10] Though he probably did his colleagues in the Guild a service by creating production work and new export channels for sales, he was never referred to by name by the Dutch artist biographer Arnold Houbraken, who called him and his family the keelbeulen (cut throats) of Antwerp.

They likely did this to confirm the importance of this test to their status as craftsmen at a time when the more entrepreneurial organization of their craft (by dealers like Forchondt) threatened their position.