Background
Though his birthplace is unknown, a signed document survives in Utrecht where he is listed as six years old and the son of Simon van Poelenburch, a Catholic canon in Utrecht.
Though his birthplace is unknown, a signed document survives in Utrecht where he is listed as six years old and the son of Simon van Poelenburch, a Catholic canon in Utrecht.
He initially trained with Abraham Bloemaert, and his earliest signed paintings are from 1620. He counted a few cardinals under his patrons, and was called to England by Charles I of England, for whom he made small cabinet pieces. He painted mostly small landscapes with mythical or religious figures or passages, in a style that would later be evident in some of the works of Claude Lorraine.
His "most important and successful" pupils were Daniël Vertangen, Dirck van der Lisse, François Verwilt, and January van Haensbergen.
Arnold Houbraken claimed that his best pupil was Joan vander Lis from Breda (not Dirk vander Lis from The Hague). Houbraken then mentioned Vertangen, Verwilt, Warnard van Rysen from Bommel, and Willem van Steenree, a nephew.
The RKD also mentions Laurens Barata.
Bentvueghels]
He traveled to Rome where he was influenced by Adam Elsheimer and became a founding member of the Bentvueghels.