Jan van Orley (1665–1735) 

• Was a Flemish painter, draughtsman, printmaker and designer of tapestries.
• Jan van Orley was born in Brussels in 1665.
• Trained with his father Pieter (called Siret), who was a landscape artist and miniaturist.
• He was the younger brother of Richard van Orley who was a prominent engraver and painter.
• Bernard van Orley (1488-1541) was the most famous scion of the family.

• Jan is mainly recorded as having worked in Brussels.

• Jan van Orley started his career as a miniaturist.

• On 13, 14 and 15 August 1695 French troops carried out the first artillery bombardment on a civil population in modern history.

• This event, known as the Bombardment of Brussels, caused the destruction of a third of the buildings in Brussels, including civil and religious buildings.

• Jan van Orley and Victor Honoré Janssens were the history painters in Brussels who benefited from this situation.

• Jan van Orley succeeded in securing commissions for about 30 paintings for the decoration of religious and civic buildings.

• Jan van Orley was a prolific artist and left an extensive oeuvre in a wide variety of techniques including painting, drawing, printmaking and tapestry design.

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