Introduction
Hendrik de Fromantiou (1633 – after 1693) was a Dutch still life painter.
Early life
Fromantiou was born in Maastricht. In his youth, he produced works for the art dealer Gerrit van Uylenburgh in Amsterdam and from 1658, he was active in The Hague.
Career
In 1670, he was appointed as conservator of the royal collection in Potsdam. In 1671, when Van Uylenburgh tried to sell 13 paintings to Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg, Fromantiou successfully advised the Elector to send 12 pieces back as forgeries. Fromantiou claimed the paintings were copies of Italian ones, and he could point out the originals in Holland. Included in the 51 people involved in the expertise, was Johannes Vermeer.
Personal life
In 1672 he married the daughter of the rich and successful fellow Dutch painter Philip Wouwerman. He died in Potsdam.