Though perhaps known mostly for his Italianate landscapes and cattle in the manner of Nicolaes Pietersz Berchem, Begyn was a highly skilled painter active in many genres, who traveled widely. According to the RKD, Begeyn"s earliest known work is from 1653, though he was first accepted into the Guild of Saint Luke in Leiden in 1655. He stopped paying dues in 1667, because he set off for a trip to Italy.
He is registered in Rome and Naples from 1659-1660.
In the rampjaar or disaster year, of 1672, he is registered in Amsterdam, and after that he lived in London, where he painted at Ham House, Surrey, together with Willem van de Velde the Younger (1633–1707) and Dirck van der Bergen (1645–1690). He moved to Berlin in 1688, where he became Prussian court painter.
He died of a heart attack when Augustinus Terwesten came to visit his studio, accompanied by two other painters. lieutenant is highly possible that he felt put under great pressure by Terwesten to perform, since Terwesten had also become court painter in Berlin and had also started an academy there, which opened in 1697.
The two men were in direct competition with each other for the title of professor
Begeyn died in Berlin. In many collections in the Netherlands, the pictures of Begeyn are placed amongst those of the most admired masters. His pencilling is light and free, and his colouring very agreeable.
He is also known for his still life paintings of flowers and hunting paraphernalia.
In 1681 he was in the Hague where two years later he became a member of the painters" confraternity "Pictura".
