VERELST, Pieter Harmensz. - b. ~1618 Dordrecht, d. ~1678 Hulst

Dutch painter, part of a family of painters. In 1638, he was recorded by the Dordrecht guild as a pupil of Gerrit Dou. He moved to The Hague in 1643, where he joined the guild in the same year. In 1656, the artist participated in the foundation of the Confrerie Pictura, serving on the organization’s committee as a warden. He is known mostly for genre paintings of Dutch and Italian village life.

Verelst taught his three sons: Simon, who specialized in flower still-lifes, Johannes, and Herman Pietersz., both known for portrait painting. His other pupils were Hermanus van Grevenbroeck, Anthony de Haen, Otto Hoynck, Hendrik Mony, Gabriel Siebrick. He is known mostly for genre paintings of Dutch and Italian village life.

Verelst eventually fell heavily into debt, and was compelled to leave The Hague. In 1671, he was recorded in the vicinity of Hulst, near Antwerp, where he seems to have abandoned painting altogether, and instead took up the brewer’s trade.