Aert de Gelder

Happy Birthday Aert de Gelder!! Born in 1645, Gelder was a Dutch painter. He was one of the last students of Rembrandt, studying with him in his studio in Amsterdam. I was fortunate to visit Rembrandt's house in Amsterdam 5 years ago, and see the studio where these two artists conspired! His painting of King David is displayed at the Rijksmuseum, also in Amsterdam, and considered his most important work. One of the rooms I loved in the house was used for storage of items used in Rembrandt's portraits, such as the turban you see on the King. It was lined with shelves and loaded with hats, stones, shells, pieces of interesting wood, vases, etc. Gelder was the only artist to paint in Rembrandt's distinctive style in the latter part of the 17^th century. Please note the use of Rembrandt lighting, a bright illumination of the subject's face (dark behind), guiding the viewer to the center of interest in the picture.