Daniel Seghers, S.J. (1590-1661)

Daniel Seghers (3 December 1590–2 November 1661) was a Jesuit brother and Flemish Baroque painter who specialized in flower still lifes, and is particularly well-known for his contributions to the genre of “flower garland” painting. His paintings were collected enthusiastically by courtly patrons and he had numerous imitators. He was the elder brother of the painter Gerard Seghers. Born in Antwerp, Seghers moved to the Dutch Republic around 1601, following the death of his father Pierre and the conversion of his mother to Calvinism. The young artist returned to Antwerp by 1611, where he was enrolled in the guild of St. Luke as a student of Jan Brueghel the Elder. After re-converting back to Catholicism, in 1614 he became a novice in the Jesuit order in Mechelen. Until 1625 Seghers continued to work as a painter in Antwerp, as well as a stay in Brussels in 1621. Sources differ regarding his status in the Jesuit order: some claim that he was ordained a priest in 1625, while other argue that he remained a lay brother. Between 1625 to 1627, the artist was in Italy, and from 1627 until his death in 1661, Seghers remained mostly in Antwerp.
(From Wikipedia)