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Landscape with Hunter by Aert van der Neer

Aert van der Neer · 1632-01-01

Aert van der Neer painted moonlight, firelight, and winter light. His 'Landscape with Hunter' (1632) is in the Rijksmuseum.

Look for the solitary hunter walking along the water's edge. Behind him, a few figures gather by a rustic building. Then scan the horizon for a village spire so faint you could scroll right past it.

Van der Neer worked during the Dutch Golden Age alongside Aelbert Cuyp and Meindert Hobbema. He specialized in small, intimate landscapes lit by moonlight or fires. His winter scenes capture a quiet few other painters attempted.

Next time you walk through the Rijksmuseum, look for the small painting most visitors miss.

Details

Its twisted form and sparse branches create a dramatic silhouette against the sky, hinting at the harshness of the season.
Its twisted form and sparse branches create a dramatic silhouette against the sky, hinting at the harshness of the season.
The dense, dark trees create a sense of mystery and enclosure, hinting at the unknown depths of the woods.
The dense, dark trees create a sense of mystery and enclosure, hinting at the unknown depths of the woods.
Transcript

He painted moonlight, firelight, and winter light. A solitary hunter walks into the cold. Behind him, everyday life carries on. And a church spire, barely visible. He died in obscurity, in 1677.