Initially a pupil of his father Dirck in Dordrecht, Samuel van Hoogstraten entered the studio of Rembrandt in Amsterdam in 1641. Working alongside artists such as Carel Fabritius and Abraham Furnerius, Van Hoogstraten remained in Rembrandt’s workshop until 1648, when he returned to Dordrecht.

His first dated independent paintings were executed in 1644, while his earliest known drawing dates from two years later. After leaving Rembrandt’s studio, Van Hoogstraten he began a series of travels throughout Europe, spending time in Germany and Vienna, where between 1651 and 1656 he worked at the Imperial court. Arriving in Rome, he joined the Schildersbent, the association of Dutch artists in the city, earning the nickname ‘Batavian.’
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