Adriaen van den Werff studied painting with Cornelis Picolet and Eglon van der Neer. Living in Rotterdam, he mainly applied himself to portraiture, genre paintings, and biblical subjects. In 1697, he was appointed court painter in Dusseldorf, where he also became a knight. His interest in genre painting later gave its place to his preoccupation with historical painting.
The characteristic qualities of many of his works are his attention to detail, a most exquisite finish, a vivid, illusionist presence of the object depicted. These qualities of his art were very popular with contemporary theorists and patrons alike, who purchased his works at exceptionally high prices.

The son and student of the painter-aquarellist Philippe Vinckboons (? -1601). Following the Spanish occupation of Antwerp, in 1586, and the prosecutions suffered by the protestants, he moved to Amsterdam with his family.

Following the tradition of his home town in Flanders, he made genre paintings, introducing in Holland depictions of villagers and their festivals, their daily life, even their relations with the Spanish soldiers. He also made historical and religious paintings and left a great number of drawings, most by which were reproduced in engravings.

His paintings portraying groups of figures merrily eating, drinking and flirting in rural landscapes were very popular and as a subject influenced several Dutch painters in the early decades of the 17th century.