Jan Miel

circa 1599 Beveren near Antwerp – 1663 Turin

The Flemish painter and etcher, Jan Miel, studied under Gerard Seghers in Antwerp before travelling to Rome in 1638, where he lived and worked until 1658. Miel made friends there with the painter, Pieter van Laer, and was admitted to the Bentvueghels, a cooperative association of Dutch and Flemish artists. In this Schildersbent the artist was also known by his nicknames: Bicke, Giovanni Milo and Giovanni delle Vite. Miel acquired a wider reputation for his scenes from everyday life in Italy and, in the autumn of 1658, moved to Turin, where he was appointed court painter to Duke Karl Emanuel.