Rochus van Veen

Rochus van Veen
Butterfly and small fly on appel, collection Teylers Museum
Born	Rochus 1630 Beverwijk
Died	1693 (aged 62–63) Beverwijk
Nationality	Netherlands
Known for	Painting
Movement	Baroque

Rochus van Veen (1630–1693) was a Dutch Golden Age painter.

Biography

Agneta Block and her garden Flora Batava at Vijverhof, by Jan Weenix.

Watercolor of a finch on a branch that looks similar to the one in Agnes Block's hand in the Jan Weenix family portrait.

According to Houbraken, he followed in the artistic footsteps of his father Otto van Veen, who may have been his uncle. Rochus had two sons who also became painters. All three lived in Beverwijk and all specialized in painting watercolors of plants, birds and insects on paper and parchment. In 1706 their drawings, prints, and paintings were auctioned in Haarlem.^[1]

According to the RKD he was also known as Rocho.^[2] The RKD does not mention a relation to Otto van Veen, who painted historical allegories. Rochus painted watercolors for horticulturalists. He painted for Agnes Block's garden and one of his paintings resembles the one she holds in her hand in a family portrait by Jan Weenix.

References

1. (Dutch) Rochus van Veen biography in De groote schouburgh der Nederlantsche konstschilders en schilderessen (1718) by Arnold Houbraken, courtesy of the Digital library for Dutch literature
2. RKD entry on Rochus van Veen