Johannes van der Beeck

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Johannes Symonsz (Jan) van der Beeck (1589, Amsterdam - buried Feb 17, 1644, Amsterdam), also known as Johannes Torrentius, was a Dutch painter. He was born and got married (in 1612) in Amsterdam, but later moved to Haarlem.

His many indiscretions and rumored membership of the Rosicrucian order led to his arrest, torture and sentencing in 1627. Although he was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, Charles I of England — an admirer of the painter's works — intervened, and was able to secure his release after two years, hiring Torrentius as Court Painter. He stayed in England for 12 years, returning to Amsterdam in 1642.

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