Utrecht-born Wtewael travelled to France where he doubtless saw the decorations by the Fontainebleau School before going on to Italy. In 1592, on his return to Utrecht, he became the main exponent of the Mannerist movement in his town at the time of Blomaert. His complicated style of drawing with its fondness for contortion and peculiarity is a distant echo of the Italian style of the second half of the 16th century. His colours witness the same taste for the bizarre with their rare, often acid harmonies. He painted primarily mythological and religious compositions, often in minuscule formats with considerable affectation, but also handled portraiture and still life.
