ally ▁for ▁his ▁large ▁religious ▁and ▁myth ological ▁works , ▁which ▁show ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁Car av aggio . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁leading ▁history ▁painter ▁in ▁Fland ers ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁return ▁of ▁Rub ens ▁from ▁Italy . ▁ ▁Life ▁Abraham ▁J ans sens ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Ant werp ▁as ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Jan ▁J ans sens ▁and ▁Ro el of ken ▁van ▁Hu ys en ▁or ▁N uy ss en . ▁There ▁is ▁some ▁uncertainty ▁regarding ▁his ▁year ▁of ▁birth . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁previously ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁born ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁ 1 5 6 7 , ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁now ▁more ▁generally ▁assumed ▁that ▁his ▁date ▁of ▁birth ▁was ▁ 1 5 7 5 . ▁ ▁J ans sens ▁studied ▁under ▁Jan ▁S nell in ck ▁and ▁was ▁registered ▁as ▁a ▁pup il ▁in ▁the ▁local ▁Gu ild ▁of ▁Saint ▁Luke ▁in ▁ 1 5 8 5 . ▁ ▁He ▁travel led ▁to ▁Italy ▁where ▁he ▁res ided ▁mainly ▁in ▁Rome ▁between ▁ 1 5 9 7 ▁and ▁ 1 6 0 2 . ▁ ▁After ▁returning ▁to ▁his ▁home ▁country ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁master ▁in ▁the ▁Ant werp ▁Gu ild ▁in ▁the ▁gu ild ▁year ▁ 1 6 0 1 - 1 6 0 2 . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 ▁May ▁ 1 6 0 2 ▁he ▁married ▁S ara ▁Go et k int ▁( d ied ▁in ▁Ant werp ▁on ▁ 7 ▁April ▁ 1 6 4 4 ) ▁with ▁whom ▁he ▁had ▁ 8 ▁children