Jacob van der Kerckhoven (1636/1637 – after 1712)

• Was a Flemish painter.
• Jacob van der Kerckhoven was likely born in Antwerp.
• He was registered at the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke as a pupil of Jan Fyt in the year 1649–1650.
• He moved to Italy where he was first recorded in Venice in 1683.
• He changed his name to Giacomo da Castello after the Venetian district in which he lived.
• He became a very successful painter of still lifes with live animals.
• He became the court painter of the Doge of Venice.
• He was also patronized by English aristocrats on their Grand Tour such as John Cecil, 5th Earl of Exeter.
• He was the teacher of Giovanni Agostino Cassana.
• From 1685 until 1712 he was registered at the Academy of Venice (Fraglia dei Pittori). 

• He died in Venice.

• Kerckhoven is known to have collaborated with painters such as Johann Carl Loth and Antonio Zanchi on compositions to which he contributed the still-life elements.

• Next