Early Life and Family Background Born in Amsterdam in 1605, Peter Danckerts de Rij grew up in a household where the visual arts were a way of life. He was the son of Cornelis Danckerts de Ry, a man who shaped the physical landscape as an architect and sculptor. Growing up in the Dutch Republic during the Golden Age, Peter was immersed in a family environment defined by craftsmanship and technical skill. He belonged to a large, interco…