He was born in
Doetinchem to Albert Otten and Anna Hendrica Huslij, and added his mother's surname to his name from 1760, probably because he was a pupil of her family members Hans Jacob Huslij and Hendrik Huslij. He made designs in the popular neoclassical style in the eighteenth century. He won prizes in various drawing competitions and in 1768 he wrote a pamphlet on competitions for the city drawing academy in Amsterdam. He was the director of the drawing academy in Amsterdam called the
Stadstekenacademie. In 1772–1776 he designed and built the
City Hall, Weesp with his nephew
Leendert Viervant the Younger. In 1775 he won a prize for the new City Hall to be built in Groningen. In 1787–1779 he won a prize for the new building called
Felix Meritis in Amsterdam to house a new society of the arts and sciences there. He died, aged 57, in
Kampen. File:Felix Meritis.jpg|
Felix Meritis File:Rådhuset Groningen NL.jpg|
City hall, Groningen File:RM38608 Weesp - Nieuwstraat 41 (foto 1).jpg|
City Hall, Weesp ==References==