Aernout (Aert) van der Neer was born in 1603 in Gorinchem – also known as Gorkum, which later came to be known as Amsterdam, the Netherlands. A Dutch painter of the Baroque period, van der Neer was famous for his nocturnal landscapes and winter scenes.
His mastery of light effects is revealed in many dark landscapes that are lit by a full moon or a burning building. He was also especially sensitivity to how light dances on water and ice, and played with this imagery in his works, too.
Van der Neer did not begin painting until he was in his late 20s, and although he is sometimes mistaken for his two brothers in-law (both of whom are painters with the same last name) scholars generally consider these two painters to be far inferior to van der Neer’s mastery. The artist died in 1677.
His works are heavily influenced by the Flemish landscape tradition known as the Frankenthal School, which uses a limited tonal palette. It also features specific scenes, such as winding paths to lead the eye to the presentation of isolated figures in many an artwork.
Read more about Aernout van der Neer here.
