Matthijs Wulfraet was a Dutch Golden Age painter. He was born in Arnhem, Netherlands, on New Year's Eve between midnight and one in the morning. His father, who came from Germany and was a language teacher and doctor, wanted his son to follow in his footsteps and sent him to Latin school. However, young Mathijs had more interest in drawing than anything else and even though he was punished for drawing more than once, he continued to draw. He was eventually allowed to pursue a career in art. Wulfraet was known for his portraits and genre scenes. He died in 1727.