Lucas Smout the Younger

He was born in Antwerp as the youngest child of the painter and art dealer Lucas Smout the Elder and Anna Maria Tijssens.

This may also be the reason why he remained unmarried and lived in the house of his eldest sister Clara Catharina who was married to the painter Gonzales Franciscus Casteels.

He painted a number of coastal scenes depicting various activities relating to the return of fishing boats with their catch or the loading of vessels.

This work is typical of Smout's busy compositions: it includes many groups of people and a wide range of activities taking place on the beach, such as pulling fishing boats onto the land, men hauling wood, soldiers transporting two gun barrels, fishmongers and on the far right - next to a cannon - a man drawing, which is likely a self-portrait.

This work referred to as Harbour and Fish Market (Musée des beaux-arts de Quimper) possibly also represents a view of the beach and port of Scheveningen as in its composition and figures it closely resembles Pieter Bout's Selling Fish at the Beach of Scheveningen (Van Ham Auctions, 11 May 2012, Lot 518).