Brief Biography-Michiel Sweerts from Brussels was a painter and printmaker. Unfortunately, there is no specific history of his early life; the most original documentation was in Rome in 1646. He was associated with the Bamboccianti, a group of Dutch and Flemish genre painters in Italy. He was also an associate of the Accademia di San Luca, a group with many powers who could decide who was an artist in Rome. One of his students in Rome was Willem Reuter.
He stayed in Rome until 1656 before returning to Brussels to become a member of the painters’ guild. He developed a religious inclination and joined a missionary group in Amsterdam to travel east to extend the word of God. He died in Goa in 1664.
His work consisted of genre scenes and portraiture. His portraits have been likened to Jan Vermeer and noted for the prevalence of tronies or exaggerated facial expressions.