Biography

Jan van der Heyden was a painter who primarily focused on architecture as his subject. Like other Dutch painters, his work is notable for its realism, but he is particularly remarkable for his attention to detail, like brick and foliage. He is known for his contributions to firefighting science, and he proposed a street lighting plan that had considerable influence in other cities. William Henry Seward likely saw Heyden's work, though he writes down the name "Helden," during his time in the Netherlands, which he relates in his November 30, 1859 letter.