Jan Griffier (c1645 - 1718). Jan Griffier was a Dutch painter of the late 17th century who was active in England, though he is often associated with the Dutch Golden Age. His Great Fire of London (Museum of London) vividly depicts the 1666 fire engulfing the city, showcasing his talent for atmospheric effects and dramatic urban scenes. View of London from Greenwich (Royal Collection) offers a panoramic view of the city, blending natural and urban elements. His River Landscape with Figures (National Gallery of Ireland) exemplifies his peaceful pastoral scenes with figures in idyllic river settings. He was skilled in portraying both historical events and serene landscapes. Griffier was admitted to the London Company of Painter-Stainers in 1677. He was born in Amsterdam and learned to paint landscapes and engrave under Roelant Roghman. His birthdate is uncertain: according to Arnold Houbraken, he was born in 1656, while English sources suggest he may have been born up to 10 years earlier. In 1700, Griffier was registered as being 48 years old in the Album studiosorum of the University of Leiden, where he lived on the Stadstimmerwerf. He produced views of Rhineland landscapes and the English countryside, and after around 1695, he returned to the Netherlands for a decade, though he was engaged for at least two decades in England, where he worked with Dutch painter Jan Looten. Griffier’s work as a draughtsman reflects his training under Roghman, and as an etcher, he is remembered for a series of plates of birds after Francis Barlow. His mezzotints reproduced portraits by Sir Peter Lely, Hendrik ter Brugghen, and Sir Godfrey Kneller. His city views, which provide invaluable topographical evidence, suggest his travels in England were extensive. According to Houbraken, in 1695 Griffier undertook a voyage with his family to the Netherlands, which ended in shipwreck, resulting in the loss of all his paintings. He later bought a houseboat in Rotterdam and traveled extensively, painting landscapes while living aboard. He successfully crossed the Channel again, this time sending his family on a more seaworthy ship due to fear of another shipwreck. Griffier eventually died in London. Apart from the biographical sketch by Houbraken in 1718, much of what is known about him in England has been passed down through Horace Walpole, drawing on George Vertue’s notebooks. Griffier's sons, Robert Griffier and Jan Griffier the Younger, continued the family’s landscape painting tradition.