Jan Linsen

Jan Linsen (Hoorn, 1602 or 1603 – Hoorn, 26 May 1635) was a Dutch painter of mythological and biblical themes. Life Jan Linsen was likely born in Hoorn. He travelled in France and Italy. From 1624 to 1626 he was active in Rome and lived in the Strada dell'Olmo in the Sancti Nicolai parish in 1625. The parish archives of Sancti Nicolai datin9 to 1625 mentioned him as 22 years old 'Giovanni Lincens, olandese, pittore, d'anni 22'. In Rome he joined the Bentvueghels, an association of mainly Dutch and Flemish artists working in Rome. It was customary for the Bentvueghels to adopt an appealing nickname, the so-called 'bent name'. He was given the bent name Hermafrodito. He left Rome in 1626.

He died young when during an argument over a card game at the inn "Croon van Sweden" in Hoorn, he was stabbed by another cardplayer who was his friend. He died shortly after. Linsen's corpus principally comprises historical, mythological, and biblical scenes set in wide landscape settings. He is considered a follower of Cornelis van Poelenburch and Bartholomeus Breenbergh.