Jan Abrahamsz. Beerstraten
was a painter and draughtsman. His townscapes were mostly winter
scenes, as in the first known topographical painting by him: View of
Oude Kerk in the Winter (1659; Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum). Although his
work reflects the increased public interest in topography in
mid-17th-century Amsterdam, there is also a somewhat romantic
atmosphere pervading his winter landscapes. His colours are
generally tonal and his style soft by comparison with the clearly
defined townscapes by Jan van der Heyden. His subjects were also
romanticized, as in the Ruins of the Old Town Hall of Amsterdam
after the Fire of 7 July 1652 (1653; Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum).
Shortly before his death Jan Beerstraten painted the Church of
Nieuwkoop (Hamburg, Kunsthalle), depicting the church under a dark,
cloudy sky, with a funeral procession emerging from behind it.
Jan Abrahamsz. Beerstraten
Vue imaginaire d'un port méridional avec le chevet de la cathédrale de
Lyon
1652
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