Adriaen van de Velde (1636 – 1672) was a Dutch draftsman, etcher, and painter who specialized in landscapes and animals. He was born in to a family of painters. Both his father and his brother were celebrated marine artists. Like his brother, he first trained with his father, and then moved to Haarlem to complete his apprenticeship in Jan Wijnants’ studio. In 1657, Adriaen van de Velde settled in Amsterdam, where he lived until his death. Although his career only lasted around 20 years, he was a highly prolific artist who produced a large number of prints, drawings and paintings, and signed works survive from almost every year. Most of his oeuvre comprises Italian views, particularly after 1667, as well as landscapes of Holland.
The former are based on the works of Karel du Jardin and Nicolaes Berchem and there is no information to suggest that he travelled to Italy. The pieces of art depict animals and shepherds in mountainous landscapes, illuminated by a clear, Mediterranean light and often with classical ruins. He was a versatile artist who also painted portraits set in exteriors, allegories, winter scenes, and historical and religious compositions, as well as a few genre paintings. The figures in his compositions are notable for their individuality, their large scale, and the care with which they are painted. The artist was often commissioned to paint figures in compositions done by other artists and his hand can be detected in works by Jan Wijnants, Frederik de Moucheron, Hobbema, Jan van der Heyden, Philips Koninck, and Jacob van Ruisdael.
