Pieter Hardimé

[2] Hardimé was born in Antwerp as the son of Simon, a laborer originally from the French-speaking part of the Southern Netherlands, and a Flemish mother.

[2] Simon was himself a pupil of Jan Baptist de Crépu, a flower and fruit painter active in Antwerp.

[2] By moving to the Dutch Republic Pieter followed in the footsteps of many of his fellow Antwerp artists who left their home country which was affected by frequent attacks and invasions by French troops.

Simon later moved to Breda where he received a commission to paint a chimney piece for the palace of William III of England.

He painted many flower pieces for Huis Honselaarsdijk, the Prussian King's country house in the Dutch Republic.

[7] He had other prominent patrons including the mayor of Rotterdam Willem van Hogendorp and his brother the treasurer for whom he made decorative paintings for their residences.