Michiel Sweerts was a 17th century painter from Brussels who was active in Italy, Syria and India. Nothing is known about his youth and education in Brussels, only an entry in the baptismal register has survived. Sweerts lived in Rome from the mid-1640s. From 1646 to 1651, he resided in a house near the Piazza del Popolo, an area where many Flemish Catholics had settled. In Rome, Sweerts had close connections with the Flemish merchant family Deutz, for whom he painted several portraits and devotional objects and also occasionally ran errands. He remained in Rome until at least 1652, during which time he produced no less than 40 paintings showing the influences of Caravaggio and the Bamboccianti. By April 1656, Sweerts had returned to Brussels where he founded a drawing school. In 1659, he became a member of the painters' guild. About a year later, he joined a priest who was on his way to India as a missionary. On the journey, Sweerts painted some pictures in Aleppo. In July 1662, he was expelled from the mission because of his quick-tempered character. However, Sweerts continued on his way to India, arriving there at the end of 1662 and dying in Goa in 1664.