Adriaen Pietersz. van de Venne

War and religious strife in the Southern Netherlands persuaded Adriaen Pietersz van de Venne’s (1589-1662) parents to move to Delft. This is where their son was born in 1589. Although he registered as a student at Delft university in 1605, Van de Venne preferred an apprenticeship to artist Jeronymus van Diest I and later Simon de Valck. Later, Van de Venne worked in Middelburg, where in addition to painting, he also produced book illustrations. He also emerged as a poet and a political propagandist for the stadholders of the house of Orange-Nassau. In 1625, Van de Venne moved to The Hague, where he joined the artists guild and helped found the Pictura society. There Van de Venne published literary work which he illustrated himself.