Aelbert Cuyp

Aelbert Cuyp (1620-1691) was one of the foremost Dutch painters and draftsmen of the seventeenth century. His prolific artistic career spanned the years between 1640 and 1665, the greatest period of Dutch painting, and his idyllic views of the Dutch countryside have entranced collectors and connoisseurs ever since. Although particularly renowned for his pastoral scenes, Cuyp also painted portraits, biblical scenes, and majestic views of Dutch harbors. He had an extraordinary ability to capture atmospheric conditions from the golden glow of the late afternoon sun to the brisk wind accompanying a sudden thunderstorm. Indeed, Cuyp's unique combination of Italianate atmospheric effects and native Dutch landscape distinguishes his art from that of any of his contemporaries. At the core of this book and the exhibition it accompanies are forty-five of Cuyp's most distinguished paintings and sixty-four drawings, taken largely from the impressive collections of the organizing institutions but also from other American, British, Dutch, and German museums and private collections. The works are reproduced in brilliant color and accompanied by more than 100 additional illustrations in color and black and white. Their appeal lies not only in the subject matter but also in their distinctive style, for Cuyp infused his Arcadian subjects and river views with a sensitivity to light and a clarity of form that is firmly grounded in reality. 222 illustrations, 124 in color Led by Arthur K. Wheelock of the National Gallery of Art, an international team of curators and scholars discuss Cuyp's work in the context of his time, personal background, artistic development, patrons, use of costume, and artistic techniques.