WILLAERTS, Abraham

Painter, member of a Dutch family of painters, son of Adam Willaerts. After training with his father he later studied with Jan van Bijlert in Utrecht and with Simon Vouet in Paris. In 1624 he became a master of the Utrecht Guild of St Luke; from 1637 to 1644 he was in Brazil in the entourage of Count John Maurice of Nassau-Siegen, and in 1659 he visited Naples and Rome. He and his younger brother, Isaac, took up their father’s profession and became marine painters.

His marine paintings closely follow those of his father, for example Coast Scene (1647; Haarlem, Frans Halsmuseum), but often have an atmospheric softness, as in Beach Scene with Ruin (1662; Brunswick, Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum). Abraham’s foreign travels had little effect on his style but resulted in Mediterranean harbour views (real and imaginary), such as Harbour of Naples (London, National Maritime Museum). He painted a series of portraits, both single figures (several were admirals) and family groups (e.g. Cambridge, Fitzwilliam; Schleissheim, Neues Schloss). He also contributed portraits in the foreground of some of his father’s harbour scenes.