The early morning hours, the last light of the day and even the nighttime darkness were the moments that the Dutchman van der Neer put on canvas. At these times, the painter preferred to visit rivers and start the day or the evening with the quiet. Fishermen, riders and strollers complete the scenes. In the later years of the artist, winter landscapes were added to the repertoire. Here, too, happy winter scenes that took place on frozen rivers and scenes. There seems to have been a bond between this landscape type and the artist. Not uncommon is therefore the often poetic-looking expression that adheres to the paintings.
An art critic once commented on the special ability that dominated the artists of the Netherlands. It is the depiction of weather phenomena, clouds and the overwhelming force of storms. Aert van der Neer has painted the depiction of cloud towers with great skill. Fine observations of the sky are reflected in the landscapes. When the cool moonlight bathes the landscape in a special color, the painter succeeds in passing on the nocturnal impression to the viewer. Almost opposite is the light spectacle, the blazing flames bring into the dark night and show their flickering game. But even these nuances catch the painter with a sure eye.
The biography of Aert van der Neers is incomplete. He was born in the young 17th century. A century that was well-intentioned to the Dutch painters and helped many to reputation and wealth. The wealth flowed past van der Neer. During his career, he also ran an economy. However, the success was also missing here. And although his lighting studies were fundamental to the Dutch landscape painters, he did not receive the reputation appropriate to his skill. Aert mastered the facets of light. The dull sunlight on an ice surface, as well as the reflection of the moon on a quiet river.
© Meisterdrucke