This is a good example of early Dutch marine painting, dating circa 1610/1620, attributed to Aert Anthonisz.: a ship flying the flag from Hoorn is swiftly sailing away from a dangerous, rocky coast..

 

Anthonisz. was one of those early Dutch marine specialists of Flemish origin who, at a young age, had fled with his parents from Flanders for religious reasons.

 

Until 1973 Aert Anthonisz. was known as Aert van Antum, because his signature had been misread.

 

 

Dutch painter of Flemish origin

Antwerp 1579/80 – 1620 Amsterdam

 

Aert Anthonisz., in full Anthoniszoon, is also known as Aert Anthonissen. During the major part of the 20th century he was known as Aert van Antum, because one of his rare signatures was misinterpreted.

 

Anthonisz. was probably a pupil of Hendrick Cornelisz. Vroom (Haarlem 1562/63 – 1640 Haarlem) in Haarlem. 

 

He was the father of the marine painter Hendrick van Anthonissen (Amsterdam 1605 – 1656 Amsterdam), who in his turn was a brother-in-law of Jan Porcellis (1584 – 1632). Anthonissen studied under both his father and his brother-in-law.

Aert was the grandfather of the marine painter Arnoldus van Anthonissen

(1631/32 – 1703).

 

Aert Anthonisz. lived at least since 1591 in Amsterdam. His Protestant parents must have fled from Flanders to Holland for religious reasons.

 

In 1603 he married in Amsterdam a woman who was also of Flemish origin.

In 1604 he bought the citizenship of Amsterdam, where he remained until his death in 1620.

 

 

The sea with is characteristic green tonalities is typical of the start of Dutch marine painting. Not only did painters in Haarlem use it (Hendrick Cornelisz. Vroom, Hans Savery I, Cornelis Claesz. van Wieringen and Cornelis Verbeeck in his early works), but also in Amsterdam (Abraham de Verwer, who had moved from Haarlem, and our Aert Anthonisz.) or Utrecht (Adam Willaerts). I should also mention the early paintings by Jan Porcellis who was active in lot of very different towns in Holland, Flanders and even in London.

 

As almost none of his paintings are signed or monogrammed it is very complicated to define the style of Aert Anthonisz.. Three paintings, to which our panel painting relates, used to be attributed to yet another early Haarlem marine painter of Flemish origin, Hans Savery I, but they are now given to Aert Anthonisz..