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Annunciation Painting. Author Hendrick ter Brugghen.

10 Most Famous Dutch Painters of All Time

The Netherlands has produced a huge number of influential Painters in all of art history. Beginning in the 14th century, Dutch art would spiral into various painting genres. This has provided countless masterpieces along the way.

The Dutch artists spend most of their careers painting various subjects such as landscapes, seascapes, ships, life and often a particular sub-type within these categories.

It is hard to overestimate the impact of Dutch culture on art. Many of the famous painters of the past have come from the Netherlands. Their paintings hang in museums and private collections around the world. Though many of them died in obscurity, their works live on and have elevated the painter to a position of historical prominence. Here are some that you may or not be familiar with.

1. Rembrandt van Rijn

Portret van Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn. Author Jan Lievens

Rembrandt is regarded as the greatest Dutch painter of all time. He was born on 15 July 1606 in Leiden. Simply known as Rembrandt.

Rembrandt is well-established as one of the greatest visual artists in the history of art. Moreover, the most important in Dutch art history.

Rembrandt was considerably influenced by the work of the Italian masters and Netherlandish artists who studied in Italy. His etchings and paintings were popular throughout his lifetime, and his reputation as an artist remained high.

His works depict a wide range of styles and subjects. From portraits and self-portraits to landscapes, genres scenes, and allegorical and historical scenes. Moreover, biblical and mythological themes and animal studies.

History and religion were some of his favourite themes. In several biblical works, including The Raising of the Cross, Joseph Telling His Dreams and The Stoning of Saint Stephen, Rembrandt painted himself as a character in the crowd.

2. Jacob van Ruisdael

Jacob van Ruisdael Painting- Country House in a Park. Author Jacob van Ruisdael.

Jacob van Ruisdael was born in 1629 in Haarlem, Netherlands. He is considered one of the greatest Dutch painters. Jacob focused on painting landscapes. From winter and dramatic forest scenes to river landscapes and panoramic views of Haarlem.

Additionally, Jacob used to depict landscapes with windmills, canals, waterfalls, rivers, hills and castles in melancholic atmospheres. In total, he produced more than 150 Scandinavian views featuring waterfalls.

Ruisdael’s windmill at Wijk Bij Duurstede is one of the most emblematic works of the 17th century. The landscape features a compact windmill in the city of Wijk Bij Duurstede.

In this painting, Ruisdael painted out looming, heavy clouds in the sky, creating dramatic visual tension. The smoke from the chimney and the clouds that are breaking through the sunlight.

The painting expresses the pride of Ruisdael for his nation through the prominence of the windmill. A symbol of the Dutch Republic.

Ruisdael’s work was in demand in the Dutch Republic during his lifetime. Today it is spread across private and institutional collections around the world.

3. Meindert Hobbema

The Avenue at Middelharnis.Autor Meindert Hobbema.

Meindert was born in 1638. Amsterdam is where he spent most of his life. A pupil of Jacob Van Ruisdael. Jacob had a profound impact on Hobbema’s artistic development.

Meindert Hobbema had a unique approach compared to his teacher. His landscape paintings were sunny, bright, and peaceful. Even their depiction of trees is different.

 Hobbema kept the contrasts of light and shade and the cloud formations, reflecting the landscape paintings of Ruisdael. Hobbema specialized in wooded landscapes, which are often structured around stands of woods and hedges, trees, watermills, cottage houses, and hills.

Amazingly, Meindert’s landscapes were composed of his imagination. His famous painting was The Avenue at Middelharnis.

The painting features a delicate landscape with a partly cloudy sky, tall, narrow trees, and a long road. The painting exudes calmness and tranquillity.

4. Jan Vermeer

The girl with a wineglass.Painting by Jan Vermeer. Author Johannes Vermeer.

Johannes Vermeer also known as Jan Vermeer was born on October 1632. He was a Dutch Baroque Period painter. Jan specialized in domestic interior scenes of middle-class life.

However, Vermeer was almost unnoticed during his lifetime and forgotten after death. Nevertheless, he occupies a special place among Old Masters.

Jan was fascinated by light and its subtle rendering on canvas. His most famous work was the Girl with a Pearl Earring. The play of light on various fabrics and a wonderful highlight on the decoration, make the painting one of the masterpieces of Western art.

Additionally, Vermeer had a passion to paint windows. He used the Camera obscura, which became available in the Netherlands in mid 17th century. Jan was keen on capturing light passing through windows in a new special way

5. Jan van Goyen

Jan van Goyen was a Dutch landscape painter. Jan painted landscape marines, rivers, beach scenes, winter landscapes, cityscapes, architectural views and landscapes with peasants.

Jan influenced a recommendable number of painters. Jan left approximately twelve hundred paintings and more than one thousand drawings.

In the 1630s Van Goyen developed a new approach to landscape painting that focused on local subjects like fishing grounds, canals, and rivers. He used a tonal colour palette of neutral shades. His most famous painting is The Square Watch-Tower.

6.Aelbert Cuyp

Aelbert Cuyp. Anonymous Author.

Albert was one of the leading Dutch Golden Age Painters. He mainly focused on landscapes.

he was especially known for his large views of Dutch riverside scenes in a golden early morning or late afternoon light.

Cuyp was particularly engaged in depicting the landscapes in the Italianate style. However, he had never been to Italy.

Additionally, Cuyp depicted his interest in painting animals and birds. His paintings had soft light illuminating a peaceful landscape with cows resting by the river. His style depicted a sense of calmness in an idealized world of the 17th century.

7. Peter Paul Rubens

Peter Paul was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the southern Netherlands.

Rubens was a painter producing altarpieces, portraits, landscapes, and history paintings of mythological and allegorical subjects. Interestingly, his unique and immensely popular Baroque style emphasized movement, colour and sensuality.

History paintings were his most commissioned works. The history paintings Included religious and mythological subjects, and hunt scenes. He painted portraits, especially of friends, and self-portraits, and in later life painted several landscapes.

8. Jan Steen

Jan Steen’s Painting.Author Jan Steen.

Uan Steen was a Dutch Golden Age painter. He was one of the leading genre painters of the 17th century.

His paintings are established for their psychological insight, sense of humour and abundance of colour. He was one of the founders of the painters’ Guild of Saint Luke at Leiden.

He painted historical, mythological and religious scenes, portraits, still lifes and natural scenes. His portraits of children are famous. Some of his paintings were The way you hear it, circa 1665, The Merry Family, 1668 and As old men sing, so children squeal, 1662.

9. Hendrick ter Brugghen

Annunciation Painting. Author Hendrick ter Brugghen.

Hendrick Jansz ter Brugghen was a Dutch painter of genre scenes and religious subjects. His paintings have a strong dramatic use of light and shadow, as well as emotionally charged subjects. He was one of the Dutch followers of Caravaggio – the so-called Utrecht Caravaggisti.

Figures of drinkers or musicians were one of his favourite subjects. Furthermore, he also produced large-scale religious images and group portraits. His works include The Crucifixion with the Virgin and St. John, (c. 1625), and The Denial of St. Peter.

10. Rachel Ruysch

Rachel Ruysch – Flowers in a Glass Vase, Städel.Author Rachel Ruysch.

Rachel Ruysch was a Dutch still-life painter from the Northern Netherlands. She specialized in flowers. She invented her style. Moreover, Rachel achieved international fame in her lifetime

 she became the best-documented woman painter of the Dutch Golden Age. This was due to a long and successful career that spanned over six decades.

Ruysch had a very good understanding of drawing and the techniques of earlier traditions. Every petal was created painstakingly with delicate brushwork. This knowledge improved her painting abilities. She paid extensive attention to all details in her work.