Biography

Moyses Matheusz van Uyttenbroeck (also Moses van Wtenbrouck), Dutch painter and etcher. He was the younger brother of the painter Jan (Matheusz.) van Uyttenbroeck (c. 1581-1651), who was accepted into the Guild of St Luke in The Hague in 1614. Moyses van Uyttenbroeck was a contemporary of the group of history painters now known as the Pre-Rembrandtists, who were active in Amsterdam. However, compared with the varied repertory of subjects depicted by the Pre-Rembrandtists, his range was limited, being mainly centred on themes from the Old Testament and Classical mythology, the latter usually based on Ovid's Metamorphoses. He also painted pastoral scenes, which are often difficult to distinguish clearly from the mythological works. Representations of bacchanalia with music, dancing and erotic scenes are particularly prevalent. A few portraits by him have also survived, including a picture thought to be a self-portrait (private collection).