Hendrick Aerts

Hendrick Aerts (alternative names: Hendrick Aertsz., Henricus Arijssel, Hendrik Arts, Henricus A. Rijssel) (probably Mechelen, between 1565 and 1575 – probably Gdańsk, January 1603) was a Flemish painter and draftsman who painted mainly architectural paintings of existing or imaginary structures, with figures. He was active in Gdańsk and Prague.

Life Little is known about the origins, formation and life of Hendrick Aerts. It was originally assumed that he was from Lille, which at the presumed time of his birth was part of the Spanish Netherlands. Recent research, in particular that conducted by Bernard M. Vermet, has questioned the previous assumptions about the life of the artist. Aerts is now assumed to be a native of Mechelen and that he was born there as the son of Jacob Aerts and Elisabeth van Egheem.

From 1599 Aerts may have returned to Gdańsk, where he probably died in 1603.

Known works Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum Imaginary renaissance palace. 1602 Braunschweig, Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum Interior of a Gothic church. The Hague, Museum Bredius Allegory of death. 1602 Whereabouts unknown Allegory of love and death. c. 1600/01 (2002 in Paris, Galerie De Jonckheere) Marketplace. (until at least 1913 in a private collection in Schwedt an den Oder) Interior of a Gothic church. (attributed - auctioned on 7 June 1994 by the Dorotheum in Vienna) The inside of a cathedral with procession. (on 5 July 2000 auctioned by Bonhams Knightsbridge)

Literature Bernard M. Vermet, Hendrick Aerts, Gentse Bijdragen tot de Kunstgeschiedenis en Oudheidkunde, 30 (1995), S. 107-118 Bernard M. Vermet, Architektuurschilders in Dantzig. Hendrick Aerts en Hans en Paul Vredeman de Vries, Gentse Bijdragen tot de Kunstgeschiedenis en Oudheidkunde, 31 (1996), S. 27-57 Jan Briels, Vlaamse schilders en de dageraad van Hollands Gouden Eeuw 1585-1630, Antwerpen 1997, S. 292 Hendrick Aerts. In: Ulrich Thieme, Felix Becker u. a.: Allgemeines Lexikon der Bildenden Künstler von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart. Band 2, Wilhelm Engelmann, Leipzig 1908, S. 165. Hendrick Aerts. In: Allgemeines Künstlerlexikon. Die Bildenden Künstler aller Zeiten und Völker (AKL). Band 5, Saur, München u.a. 1992, , S. 341f G.L.M. Daniëls, Kerkgeschiedenis en politiek in het perspectief van Hendrick Aerts, Antiek 9 (1974-1975), S. 63-69