Claes Cornelisz. Moeyaert

1591 – 1655

Dutch painter, etcher and draughtsman. He was the son of an aristocratic Catholic Amsterdam merchant and moved to the city with his family in 1605. He was the most prolific of the history painters now called the Pre-Rembrandtists, whose representations of biblical and mythological narratives, as well as of more recent secular history, give particular emphasis to dramatic and psychological effects. After working initially as a draughtsman and etcher, Moeyaert soon made his name as a painter. Landscapes with animals feature prominently in both his etchings and his paintings. At first he followed the lead of Adam Elsheimer, then of fellow Pre-Rembrandtists Pieter Lastman and Jan and Jacob Pynas, eventually, in the mid-1630s, coming under the influence of Rembrandt himself. After Rembrandt arrived in Amsterdam in 1632, Moeyaert's style became more lively: he used more intense colour and more varied motifs and created more animated figures. He also followed Rembrandt in using red chalk. Always making fully elaborated preparatory drawings, he worked on festival decorations, religious pieces, and a few group portraits. Moeyaert taught Nicolaes Berchem and remained an influential figure for the next generation of artists.

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