Jacob van Loo

Jacob van Loo (1614 – 26 November 1670) was a painter of the Dutch Golden Age, chiefly active in Amsterdam and, after 1660, in Paris.

Van Loo is known for his conversational groupings; particularly his mythological and biblical scenes generally attributed to the genre of History painting.

He was especially celebrated for the quality of his nudes to the extent that, during his lifetime, particularly his female figures were said to have been considered superior and more popular than those of his Amsterdam contemporary and competitor Rembrandt.

Little is known of van Loo's early history due to the destruction of the city archives in Sluis during World War II.

[5] The greater part of van Loo's oeuvre was done in the Baroque style that had originated in Rome and had been popularised throughout Europe.