The Life and Art of Gaspar de Witte Born in Antwerp, Belgium, Gaspar de Witte was a member of a prominent painting family. He was the son of Peter de Witte II and Barbara Remeeus, and his brothers, Peter de Witte III and Jan Baptist de Witte, were also painters. After training under his father, who specialized in landscapes, church interiors, and religious paintings, de Witte traveled to Rome in 1646. During his time there, he joined the Bentvueghels, an association of Dutch and Flemish artists, where he was given the nickname Grondel. Following a period in France around 1648, he returned to…