Gerard de Lairesse

Gerard de Lairesse, born in Liège in 1641, was a prominent Dutch Golden Age painter and influential art theorist. Initially studying under his father and Bertholet Flemalle, Lairesse began his career working for Maximilian Henry of Bavaria. His early life was certainly eventful; after a scandalous affair in Liège, he fled north, eventually settling in Utrecht and then Amsterdam, where his artistic talent was discovered by art dealer Gerrit van Uylenburgh. While initially inf…