According to Houbraken, Thomas Wyck was born in Haarlem in 1616, yet in various documents he is said to have come from Beverwijck in the vicinity of Haarlem. His father Adriaen probably had him baptised a Roman Catholic, for his name is lacking in the baptismal records of the Reformed church and he himself had his children baptised in this faith. His early paintings and drawings in the manner of the Ostade brothers suggest that he was trained in Haarlem. Around 1640 he was probably in Italy, where Houbraken relates that he drew from nature. In 1642 he joined the painters' guild in Haarlem. 1643 is the earliest date on his drawings, 1644 the earliest on one of his paintings. Dated works are uncommon from later years. In May 1644 he married Trijntgen Adams in Haarlem. A son Jan was born on 29 October 1652, a child was buried on 30 September 1656, and on 20 January 1657 a daughter Cornelia was baptised. In 1658/59 Wyck served as a juror in the painters' guild and in 1660, as dean, he was one of its directors. On 23 March 1663 he empowered his wife to conduct business for him as he wished to travel abroad. He had apparently left Haarlem in 1663, for the painters' guild addressed a payment to his house. His views of London before and after the Great Fire suggest that he was staying at the time in England, where Horace Walpole mentions him. On 12 April 1665 he was back in Haarlem, where he signed a document as a witness. In 1668/69 he again served as a juror, in 1669/70 as dean, and in 1671/72 as a juror in affairs of the painters' guild in Haarlem. Since in 1674 his son promised to pay his dues to the painters' guild in London, he was possibly in England a second time, but he is mentioned in Haarlem again in 1675. In 1676 he again functioned as juror, then on 19 August 1677 he was buried in Haarlem. Wyck's oeuvre consists of two parts. One is comprised of markets, ruins, street scenes, harbours and coastal landscapes with animated folk life and topographical motifs from Rome and Naples. The other is made up of Dutch interiors with scholars, alchemists, weavers and women doing housework. Jan Asselijn and Jan Baptist Weenix, Pieter van Laer and the Ostade brothers can be seen as his most important models. Numerous drawings of his are preserved, and a few etchings are also known. The battle painter and art dealer Jan van Huchtenburg (1647-1733) is said to have been his pupil. His son Jan Wyck (1652-1700) followed him to England, where he enjoyed success as a portrait, horse, and battle painter.
