Trompe l'œil of two birds hanging from a nail

Jacob Biltius specialized in game still lifes and is best known today for his trompe-l’œils, which frequently include hunting instruments. Born in The Hague, Biltius was active in Amsterdam, Maastricht, Antwerp, Leeuwarden and Bergen op Zoom. In 1660, he joined the Confrerie Pictura in The Hague, an artist’s association founded in 1656 by a group of artists who were dissatisfied with the city’s painters’ guild. In 1672 or 1673 he became a member of the Guild of Saint Luke in Antwerp.