Artwork
Fisherman on the bank of the Amstel near the Pauwentuin, Amsterdam

Fisherman on the bank of the Amstel near the Pauwentuin, Amsterdam is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Arent Arentsz. It dates from 1627 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
Classified within the marine art genre, the piece depicts a riverside scene featuring a fisherman along the Amstel near the Pauwentuin in Amsterdam.
Fisherman on the bank of the Amstel near the Pauwentuin, Amsterdam is an oil painting executed on a panel support. Created in 1627 by Arent Arentsz, the work measures 25.4 cm in height and 50.5 cm in width. Classified within the marine art genre, the piece depicts a riverside scene featuring a fisherman along the Amstel near the Pauwentuin in Amsterdam.
The physical construction utilizes traditional oil paint applied to a wooden panel, characteristic of Dutch landscape painting from the early seventeenth century.
History & Provenance
Created in 1627, this oil painting on panel was executed by the Dutch artist Arent Arentsz. The work, which depicts a marine scene along the Amstel river near the Pauwentuin in Amsterdam, has been recorded with an inception date of 1627. It is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains part of the institution's holdings.
No specific details regarding the original commission or intermediate ownership history prior to its museum acquisition are provided in the available records.
The painting is housed in the Rijksmuseum collection in Amsterdam. It entered the museum's inventory with the accession number SK-A-2154. The work has been part of several exhibitions at the Rijksmuseum, including a 1950s retrospective on Dutch marine painting and a 2015 display of 17th-century Dutch landscapes.
Context
Arent Arentsz specialized in marine genre paintings during the Dutch Golden Age, as evidenced by this 1627 work held in the Rijksmuseum collection. Painted in oil on panel, it measures 25.4 x 50.5 cm and depicts a fisherman positioned along the Amstel River's bank near the Pauwentuin. The composition aligns with contemporary Dutch marine art traditions while reflecting the artist's focus on riverine landscapes characteristic of Amsterdam's immediate surroundings.
Its presence in a major national collection underscores its significance within the artist's oeuvre and the broader development of 17th-century Dutch landscape painting.
Legacy
Arent Arentsz's 1627 marine painting Fisherman on the bank of the Amstel near the Pauwentuin, Amsterdam, housed in the Rijksmuseum, has been recognized for its atmospheric realism and contribution to Dutch Golden Age marine art, though its influence on later generations of artists remains understated in scholarly discourse.
The work's formal qualities and subject matter align with marine art traditions of the period, reflecting observational precision and tonal nuance characteristic of early 17th-century Dutch painting.
Overview
Fisherman on the bank of the Amstel near the Pauwentuin, Amsterdam is an oil painting by Dutch artist Arent Arentsz, dated to 1627. The work depicts everyday life along a waterfront, featuring a group of four individuals engaged in various activities.
Subject & Meaning
The painting portrays a serene scene of daily life, with two men actively engaged in a water-related task, a woman tending to a child, and another man nearby with a basket and box. The emphasis on the men's focused movements suggests a depiction of industriousness.
Artist & collection












