Jan Snellinck

The couple had three sons named Daniel, Gerard and Jan who all trained under their father to become painters.

He remarried in 1586 to Paulina Cuypers (alias Boschmans), who was a relative (possibly the sister) of the mother of Anthony van Dyck.

[9] His appointment to court painter of the Archdukes may have been related to his work on a commission by the government of Antwerp for the manufacture of a set of seven tapestry works, which were to serve as decorations on the occasion of the joyful entry in Antwerp of the Archdukes Albert and Isabella Clara Eugenia as the new governors of the Spanish Netherlands on 10 December 1599.

The identification was made on the basis of the presumed similarities between certain figures in the composition and contemporary portraits of known persons.

[19] Snellinck was described by contemporary art historian Karel van Mander as a battle painter and was thus the first Flemish war artist.

[2][11][18] Like many of his fellow painters from Mechelen Snellinck painted often in watercolors and this may be the reason few of his works have been preserved.

[11] A Masked ball in an Italianate courtyard, depicting a ball in the courtyard of a palace seen from a high perspective (Auctioned at Christie's on 7 December 2011, London, lot 106) and an Elegant company listening to music (Auctioned at Christie's on 7 December 2011, London, lot 106), depicting elegantly dressed men and women listening and dancing to harpsichord music, show another aspect of his work.

[11][15][16] While the tapestries later ended up in the Royal Collection in Spain, the cartoons remained in Brussels where they were later destroyed by fire or lost.

The designs were made by Otto van Veen while Snellinck painted the full-size cartoons.

The borders of each tapestry are filled with war trophies, victory palms, maces and clubs while the corners are decorated with Medusa heads.

One of these publications was the illustrated bible Thesaurus veteris et novi Testamenti published by Gerard de Jode in 1585.

De Jode relied for the Thesaurus largely on existing prints and likely ordered missing designs from his son-in-law Snellinck.

Seven design drawings of Snellinck for the publication are in the collection of the Rijksmuseum were they are attributed to Crispijn van den Broeck.