Van der Neer died in poverty. His landscapes sold for so little during his lifetime that his unsold pictures were valued at roughly five shillings apiece. In 1659 he opened a wine tavern to supplement his income; two years later he went bankrupt. He spent his final years on Kerkstraat in Amsterdam, destitute, painting moonlit canals that nobody wanted to buy.
Key facts
Biography
He was born around 1603 in Gorinchem, where he worked as a steward for the local lords of Arkel before becoming a painter. He may have learned from the Camphuysen brothers, Amsterdam painters whose sister Lysbeth he married in 1629. He specialised in two subjects: winter landscapes with frozen canals and night scenes lit by moonlight, both painted in warm browns and steel greys with a translucence that made distant objects visible in darkness.
Most of the scenes are imaginary, composed in the studio rather than observed from life. There is evidence that he and Aelbert Cuyp were friends and occasionally worked on the same canvases. Cuyp, a more commercially successful painter, may have contributed to some of Van der Neer's compositions. His son Eglon van der Neer became a far more fashionable painter, specialising in elegant genre scenes. The father's reputation was recovered long after his death, when collectors recognised the moonlit landscapes as among the most atmospheric paintings in the Dutch tradition.
Timeline
- 1635Painted "Winter landscape with houses"
- 1640Painted "River Landscape"
- 1650Painted "River Landscape at Sunset"
- 1677Died
Notable Works
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Where to See Aert van der Neer
43 museums worldwide.
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9 works
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen - Robbrecht & Daem wing, Netherlands
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10 works
Führermuseum
Linz, Austria
Related Artists
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Aert van der Neer born?
Aert van der Neer was born in 1603 and died in 1677.What art movement was Aert van der Neer part of?
Aert van der Neer was associated with Baroque.Where can I see Aert van der Neer's paintings?
Aert van der Neer's works can be seen in 80 museums worldwide, including Rijksmuseum, National Gallery, Munich Central Collecting Point.What is Aert van der Neer known for?
Aert van der Neer is known for moonlit Dutch canals painted by a man who died in poverty, his pictures valued at five shillings apiece.
Sources
Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Aert van der Neer.
- [1] museum Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp Used for: museum holdings.
- [2] museum Städel Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [3] museum Liechtenstein Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [4] museum Mauritshuis Used for: museum holdings.
- [5] museum Weston Park Used for: museum holdings.
- [6] museum Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen Used for: museum holdings.
- [7] academic Kathleen Kuiper, Aert van der Neer | Dutch Landscape Painter, Baroque Era Artist Used for: biography.
- [8] book Victoria Charles, Baroque Art Used for: biography.
- [9] museum Aert van der Neer (1603/4 - 1677) Used for: stylistic analysis.
- [10] museum Aert van der Neer | National Gallery of Art Used for: biography.
- [11] museum Aert van der Neer - The Farrier Used for: museum holdings.
- [12] museum River View by Moonlight Used for: museum holdings.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-05-17. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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