The elder Jan van Huysum moved to Amsterdam from Huizum (near Leeuwarden) between 1654 and 1657, where his boys Justus and Caspar were born.[1] According to Houbraken, when Justus came of age, his father sent him to learn painting from Nicolaes Berchem in 1675.[2] Houbraken said he was very good at all sorts of painting, but excelled at flower painting, and founded a family business in painting flowers in vases.