Matthijs Balen was a painter from Dordrecht in the Northern Netherlands. He is thought to have been a pupil of Arnold Houbraken, and like him, became a printmaker as well as a painter. He lived in The Hague from 1705-1715 and is known for Italianate landscapes, portraits, and historical allegories. Dirk Jongman made many engravings of scenes of Batavia.