Jean Henri Brandon was born at Sedan, in northern France. He probably moved to The Hague after the revocation (reversal) of the Edict of Nantes, which had promoted religious tolerance, in 1680. Brandon became a pupil of Dutch artist Theodor van der Schuur and, from 1598, was a member of the Academy in The Hague. He won recognition as a portrait painter and was employed frequently by the Court. In 1708 he moved to Utrecht, where he died some eight years later.
