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Dutch, Baroque painter. He came in contact with painting at an early age, his father, Pieter Klaasze was also a painter. In June 1642 Berchem joined the Haarlem painters' guild. In 1646 he married Catrijne Claesdr de Groot and later, as a widower in a second marriage, the daughter of his earlier teacher Jan Wils. Most of his life, he lived on Bentheim castle in the countryside. He is thought to have undertaken several educational trips to Italy, as many of his landscapes, which were his main motifs up to 1680, were inspired by this country. Berchem is said to be the most important exponent of the foreign, Italienate genre of Dutch landscape painting in the 17th century. His prolific productivity, approx. 850 paintings and 500 drawings made him one of the few well-paid painters of his time. In 1677 he finally moved to Amsterdam, where he died in 1683
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