fo ort ▁( 1 5 3 3 ▁or ▁ 1 5 3 4 ▁- ▁ 1 8 ▁October ▁ 1 5 8 3 ) ▁was ▁a ▁Dutch ▁painter . ▁ ▁Life ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Mont fo ort , ▁where ▁his ▁father ▁was ▁at ▁one ▁time ▁mayor . ▁He ▁went ▁to ▁learn ▁under ▁Hend rick ▁S we ers z . ▁in ▁Del ft ▁and ▁Fr ans ▁Flor is ▁in ▁Ant werp . ▁In ▁ 1 5 5 2 ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁Mont fo ort , ▁where ▁he ▁married ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁the ▁then ▁mayor . ▁ ▁Block land t ▁then ▁settled ▁in ▁Del ft , ▁where ▁he ▁produced ▁paint ings ▁for ▁the ▁O ude ▁K erk ▁and ▁the ▁N ieu we ▁K erk , ▁later ▁lost ▁to ▁the ▁be el den st orm . ▁Also ▁he ▁painted ▁a ▁work ▁for ▁the ▁J ans ker k ▁( G ou da ) ▁called ▁De ▁on th o of ding ▁van ▁Saint - Jac ob , ▁now ▁in ▁the ▁museum ▁there . ▁ ▁He ▁died ▁in ▁U tre cht . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 5 7 2 , ▁Block land t ▁made ▁a ▁trip ▁to ▁Italy , ▁after ▁which ▁he ▁settled ▁for ▁good ▁in ▁U tre cht , ▁joining ▁a ▁gu ild ▁there ▁in ▁ 1 5 7 7 . ▁In ▁ 1 5 7 9 , ▁he ▁painted ▁his ▁best ▁known ▁work , ▁the ▁tri pty ch ▁The ▁Ass umption ▁of ▁Mary ▁that ▁is ▁now ▁in ▁the ▁Bas il ica ▁of ▁St . ▁Martin