The details of the life of Jan Rombouts are sketchy. He signed his work with a monogram which had been read by the 19th century city archivist of Leuven Edward van Even as representing the letters IVR. As a result, he identified the painter using this monogram with the Leuven city painter Jan van Rillaer. When it was discovered that Jan van Rillaer was only born around 1520-1525 it became clear that he could not be identified with the monogrammist since the latter had already produced work in the period 1520–1525. It was subsequently understood that Edward van Even had misread the monogram, which should actually be read as IANR. Archival records also showed that van Rillaer was in fact never documented as a painter. Based on this and other evidence it became possible to identify the monogrammist IANR with Jan Rombouts the Elder who was referred to in contemporary records as a painter. The earliest known archival document about Jan Rombouts dates from 1508 and refers to him as 'Johannes Rombouts pictor'. Jan Rombouts the Elder was the grand nephew of the glass painter Claes Rombouts. He was mainly active in his hometown Leuven. He worked on commissions for religious institutions such as the two altarpieces for the
St. Peter's Church in Leuven as well as for private patrons. '' Rombouts married Barbele Roelants, with whom he had two children. His son Jan Rombouts the Younger also became a painter. His daughter Marie married
Jan Willems, a prominent painter in Leuven. Jan Rombouts was dean of Leuven's city administration from 1519 until his death in 1535. Along with
Albrecht Bouts, the son of the famous painter
Dieric Bouts, he served on the board of governors of the
Klerkenkapel (the
Clerical chapel, now the
Antonine chapel on the Pater Damiaanplein in Leuven). His son (ca. 1505–59) worked in his father's workshop and also held public offices in Leuven, such as that of
alderman. Only the son is documented as a glass painter but the evidence seems to indicate that Jan Rombouts I was also a glass painter. ==Work==