On November 9, 1677, Aert van der Neer, a landscape painter of the Dutch Golden Age passed away. He specializing in small night scenes lit only by moonlight and fires, and snowy winter landscapes, both often looking down a canal or river. He was a contemporary of Albert Cuyp and Meindert Hobbema, and like the latter he lived and died in comparative obscurity. Van Der Neer was barely able to support his family by selling his landscapes, which were not highly valued. In 1659 it seemed necessary to supplement his income by keeping a wine tavern in the Kalverstraat, but two years later he went broke. He died in Amsterdam in abject poverty, and his art was so little esteemed that the pictures left by him were valued at about five shillings apiece. His pictures are not scarce. They are less valuable in the market than those of Cuyp or Hobbema; but, possessing a charm peculiarly their own, they are much sought after by collectors. Out of about one hundred and fifty pictures accessible to the public, the choicest selection is in the Hermitage at Saint Petersburg. In England paintings from his brush are to be found at the National Gallery and Wallace Collection, and, amongst others, in the collections of the Marquess of Bute and Colonel Holford, and several at Cannon Hall Museum, Park and Gardens (Barnsley, Yorkshire).
Posted on: Sun, 09 Nov 2014 14:35:56 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015