Aert van der Neer specialized in landscape paintings. Aert van der Neer (1603-1677) lived during the Baroque Era, King Louis’s XIV time. French artists flourished during the Baroque era. Dancers, musicians, playwrights, painters creations of this time are still remade over and over today. Deaf painter, Hendrick Avercamp influenced Aert van der Neer. His mystical, fascinating landscape paintings hang in galleries all over the world today. He appeared to be fascinated with the moon. He named several of his paintings after the moonlight. The beautiful Moonlit Landscape with a View of the New Amstel River and Castle Kostverloren, oil on panel, portrays peaceful, pleasant and mysterious scenery.
Moonlit Landscape with a View of the New Amstel River and Castle Kostverloren is an expressionists painting. An overall dark tint covers the painting. Moonlight glows through darkness lighting up the picture. Stars add lighting to the darkness. A calm, quiet water stream reflects images of trees, castles, and boats. Multiple tress hide white castles in the background. The scenery let it be known this is a private closed off, secluded area reserved for royalty. A small boat sitting in the calm water at the beginning of the entrance is perhaps transportation to and from the castles. On the left of the picture, the clouds are very dark. Moving to the center, the white clouds reflect moonlight. As the picture goes from left to right, the image gets brighter. The painting is infinite. The water stream goes off into the background, giving an illusion of eternity. It has somewhere else to go. Wherever the painting ends up is left up to the imagination of the person viewing the painting. It could lead to a wider lake, another pieces of land, a beach, an ocean. It could also lead to another world, death, life.
Aert van der Neer, AKA Aert or Artus, was a steward to the lord of Arkels. As a result, some of his earlier paintings are unknown. It is said that he may have been inspired by painters Rafael and Jochem Govertsz Camphuysen. Aert married Lysbeth, Camphuysen’s sister. They moved to Amsterdam and had one son, Eglon. Eglon followed in his fathers footsteps. He also became a painter specializing in landscape paintings. Aert used oil paint for his paintings, all professional, and only experienced professional artists do. Oil paint is very sticky and tacky. It does not dry smooth or spread out very easily. Excellent oil paintings identify real professional artists created the picture. They are more expensive then other types of paintings.
All paintings, music, plays or dances are created to portray an emotion or tell a story. Moonlit Landscape with a View of the New Amstel River and Castle Kostverloren painting has some colors blended together. Shades are very subtle on the left side. The clouds and moon shows very sharp contrasting colors. Aert may have been sending a message. Using sharp contrasting colors defines the difference among the glowing moon, nighttime sky, and bright fluffy cottonlike clouds. Anyone would love to have this painting in his or her collection. This image shows nighttime brightness. At the first glance of this painting, it shows a place everyone would like to visit. Aert seemed to be influenced and fascinated by the nighttime outdoors. Many dancers, musicians, choreographers, songwriters and painters claim their best ideas come to them at night.
Aert painted fabulous, mysterious pictures. Many well known places, museums and libraries display his pictures. No one ever knows for sure what influences artists. Only the artists themselves really know.
