A village landscape with figures and livestock outside a tavern, a windmill beyond; A village landscape with peasants and their livestock, a play beyond

Michau was a precocious artistic talent, and at the age of nine, sudied in Brussels under the landscape artist Lucas Achschellinck (1626-1699). He later moved to Antwerp, where he would remain until his death, and was elected to the Guild of St. Luke in 1710. Michau established a successful studio; his works were collected by contemporary connoisseurs such as Charles IV of Lorraine. Michau's keen interest in the portrayal of village life in his paintings showed an indebtedness to, and indeed a continuation of, the tradition of landscape painting begun by Jan Breughel the Elder.