Background
According to Houbraken, he was descended from the Beresteyn family, and thus had enough money that he painted more as a hobby than as a profession.
According to Houbraken, he was descended from the Beresteyn family, and thus had enough money that he painted more as a hobby than as a profession.
According to the RKD he was a painter of landscapes, portraits, and genre pieces, trained by Jacob Jordaens. This was the reason that he didn"t produce enough to become well known outside Haarlem. Houbraken describes a popular Haarlem anecdote in which he was made a proposal by a young lady of means.
He was so confused that he almost said yes, but meeting her in the street the next day, he addressed her with Mission, that which was spoken of yesterday evening shall not be done.
This sentence became a popular refusal.
He was good friends with Cornelis Bega and lived in the Schagelstraat in Haarlem, where he became known as Leendert Oom.