Adam Willaerts (21 July 1577 – 4 April 1664) was a

Dutch Golden Age The Dutch Golden Age ( ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands which roughly lasted from 1588, when the Dutch Republic was established, to 1672, when the '' Rampjaar'' occurred. During this period, Dutch trade, scientific development ...

painter.

Biography

Willaerts (occasionally ''Willarts'', ''Willers'') was born in London to Flemish parents who had fled from

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

for religious reasons. By 1585 the family lived in

Leiden Leiden ( ; ; in English language, English and Archaism, archaic Dutch language, Dutch also Leyden) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Nethe ...

. From 1597 until his death, Adam lived and worked in Utrecht. He became a member of the Utrecht Guild of St. Luke in 1611 and subsequently became its dean in 1620. His sons Cornelis,

Abraham Abraham (originally Abram) is the common Hebrews, Hebrew Patriarchs (Bible), patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father who began the Covenant (biblical), covenanta ...

, and

Isaac Isaac ( ; ; ; ; ; ) is one of the three patriarchs (Bible), patriarchs of the Israelites and an important figure in the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the Baháʼí Faith. Isaac first appears in the Torah, in wh ...

followed in his footsteps. He was known as a painter of river and canal pieces, coastal

landscapes A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or human-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...

, fish-markets, processions, and genre scenes. He also painted villages and marine battle scenes. His best known work is a contemporary depiction of the Pilgrims leaving

Delftshaven Delfshaven () is a borough of Rotterdam, Netherlands, on the right bank of river Nieuwe Maas. It was a separate municipality until 1886. The town of Delfshaven grew around the port of the city of Delft. Delft itself was not located on a major ri ...

aboard the Speedwell. His '' Allegory of the victory of the Dutch on the Spanish fleet in Gibraltar'' is in the

Rijksmuseum The Rijksmuseum () is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch arts and history and is located in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough of Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the S ...

Gallery

File:Het vertrek van de Pilgrims uit Delfshaven, 1620. A. Willaerts.jpg, ''The Pilgrims leaving

Delfshaven Delfshaven () is a borough of Rotterdam, Netherlands, on the right bank of river Nieuwe Maas. It was a separate municipality until 1886. The town of Delfshaven grew around the port of the city of Delft. Delft itself was not located on a major ri ...

'', 1620. File:Måleri. Hamnbild. Skepp - Skoklosters slott - 88959.tif, ''Harbour scene'', circa 1615. Image:De overwinning op de Spanjaarden bij Gibraltar door een vloot onder bevel van Jacob van Heemskerck, 25 april 1607 - Dutch victory in the battle of Gibraltar (Adam Willaerts, 1617).jpg, ''The defeat of the Spaniards at

Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...

by a Dutch fleet under command of Admiral

Jacob van Heemskerck Jacob van Heemskerck (3 March 1567 – 25 April 1607) was a Dutch explorer and naval officer. He is generally known for his victory over the Spanish at the Battle of Gibraltar, where he ultimately lost his life. Early life Jacob van Hee ...

,'' 1617. File:Willaerts Shipwrecked.jpg, ''Shipwrecked on a stormy sea'', 1636

References

Adam Willaerts at the Netherlands Institute for Art History
*L. Otto Nelemans, ''Adam Willaerts, Londen 1577-Utrecht 1664. Zijn leven en zijn werk, de religieuze schilderijen in het bijzonder'', 1999 (Doctoral dissertation in Dutch) *

External links

* 1577 births 1664 deaths Dutch Golden Age painters Dutch male painters Dutch marine artists Painters from Utrecht (city) {{netherlands-painter-stub