Marine - Andries van Aertvelt (1590-1652)

Andries van Aertvelt
Antwerp, 1590 – Antwerp, 1652

Ships entering a fortified Harbour

Signed with monogram ‘A†A’ and dated ‘163 .’
Oil on panel
H. 18,5 cm. W. 36,5 cm.

PROVENANCE
With Kunsthandel Rob Kattenburg, Bergen;
Private collection, Switzerland

EXPERTISE
With dendrochronological analysis of the panel by Prof. Dr. Klein, Universität Hamburg, Germany


This charming marine picture is signed with the monogram ‘A†A’. The RKD in The Hague records several variations on Van Aertvelt’s (or Van Eertvelt’s) name. He signed all his known notarial deeds himself as ‘Andries van Artvelt’ and monogrammed his work with ‘AvA’. It is thought that his family name is derived from the town of Ertvelt in East Flanders. After dendrochronological research on the panel by Prof. Dr. Klein this picture can be dated to 1632.

Andries van Aertvelt was a pupil of Hendrik Cornelisz Vroom (1566-1640) and, in the early part of his career, painted seascapes in the manner of his master. He became a member of the Guild of Saint Luke in Antwerp in 1609. Van Aertvelt's earlier marines were painted in darkish tones, often with white, spidery highlights on the rigging against a dark sea. Around 1627 he went to Genoa, where he worked for Cornelis de Wael. He returned to Antwerp around 1630 and sat for Anthony van Dyck, who painted his portrait in 1632 (collection Schaezlerpalais, Augsburg), possibly the year the present picture was executed.