Jacob van Reesbroeck

Jacob van Reesbroeck or Jacob van Rysbroeck (c. 6 December 1620 – 27 February 1704) was a Flemish portrait painter and engraver from Antwerp whose patrons included prominent local families as well as foreign aristocrats and monarchs.

Life Jacob van Reesbroeck was born in Antwerp on or shortly before 6 December 1620 (the date of his baptism). At the age of 14 he commenced his artistic training under Jacob Spaeingaert, an obscure portrait painter. He studied painting as well as engraving. Van Reesbroeck became a master of the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke in 1641. In the same year he was inducted into the 'sodaliteit of bejaerde jongmans', a fraternity for bachelors established by the Jesuit order. In 1642 he became a free master of the 'Schilder-kamer' (the "Painter's Chamber') of the Guild of Saint Luke.

On 6 December 1648 van Reesbroeck married Joanna van Monnickreede in Antwerpen. A year later their only children - the twins Renier and Jacob - were born. The lively pose and very free handling of certain portions, such as the puffy cuffs, bear a resemblance with the work of van Reesbroeck. The painting is difficult to classify as it could be an informal portrait of a musician, or perhaps a gentleman with musical tastes as well as a genre painting, possibly representing the sense of hearing.

The current location of a number of paintings of van Reesbroeck is unknown. Some of these works are only known by the prints after his work made by van Reesbroeck himself or other Antwerp engravers.