Flemish painter, son of the painter Jacob van der Laemen (1584-c. 1630). He was the pupil of his father who later assisted him in his merry company paintings. In 1636 he became wine-master of the Guild of St. Luke.
He specialized in portraits of ladies and gentlemen enjoying music or conversation in interior settings.
The story of the Prodigal Son allows the painter ample scope to display his talents. The elegant figures with their colourful attire, and the pictorial beauty of the pronk still-life on the table all add to the picture’s charm.
The painting shows close parallels to the merry company pieces by Dirck Hals. Van der Laemen, however, works in a swifter and looser painterly style, using a thick impasto. The contours have been kept vague and this sfumato effect brings the figures into relief.
