Pieter Lastman is the son of a town-beadle, who was fired in 1578 because he stayed Catholic; his mother was an appraiser of paintings and goods.

His apprenticeship was with Gerrit Sweelinck, the brother of Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck.

Between approximately 1604 and 1607 Lastman had been in Italy, where he had been influenced by Caravaggio (as were the painters of the Utrecht School a few years later) and by Adam Elsheimer.

Because Rembrandt has never visited Italy (nor will he ever), it is likely that he is influenced by Caravaggio mainly or significantly via Lastman.