Leonaert Bramer

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Leonaert/Leonard Bramer alias Nestelghat (Dec 24, 1596, Delft - buried Feb 10, 1674, Delft) was a Dutch painter, perhaps best known for being one of the teachers of Johannes Vermeer.

He either was the son of or identical to Hendrick Bramer. In 1614 he left on a long trip eventually to reach Rome. Via Atrecht, Amiens, Paris, Aix (February 1616), Marseille, Genoa, and Livorno he reached Rome in 1619. He remained on and off in Rome until October 1627, visiting many other Italian cities, often for consignments. By 1628 he was back in Delft, where he joined the Guild of Saint Luke in 1629 and remained very productive until his death in 1674. In 1654 he was a witness at the wedding of Vermeer to Catherina Bolnes. He was primarily a genre and history painter.