Among the landscape artists of the Golden Age, Aelbert Jacobsz. Cuyp occupies one of the front ranks.
Aelbert Cuyp was born at Dordrecht in 1620 . He was offspring of a family of artists: His father Jacob Gerritsz. Cuyp and his uncle Benjamin Gerritsz. Cuyp were famous painters, the latter is also the namesake for the family name "Cuyp": His uncle had been using it since 1617 and the rest of the family took it on.
Aelbert Cuyp received art education from his father, both lived and worked together up until the father´s death in 1652, leaving behind some cooperative works in which Jacob Cuyp put the figures onto the canvas while his son Aelbert Jacobsz. Cuyp added landscape elements.
During those years Aelbert Jacobsz. Cuyp went on journeys through the Netherlands and the Rhine region, bringing home numerous sketches and drawings that he would later render on canvas.
The landscape, often with depictions of animals, was Aelbert Cuyp favorite field of activity, even though he also made maritime pieces, still lives and portraits. The landscape style of Aelbert Jacobsz. Cuyp was initially coined by a sort of tonality as it was also found in Jan van Goyen´s or Salomon van Ruysdael´s art. As of the mid 1640s he also incorporated inspirations from masters with a liking for Italian art (Jan Both, Herman van Swanevelt).
In 1658 Aelbert Jacobsz. Cuyp married Cornelia Boschman, a wealthy widow. Afterwards Aelbert Jacobsz. Cuyp abandoned painting and focussed on business activities and public offices. From 1679 to 1682 he even was member of the highest court in Southern Holland. Aelbert Cuyp died as one of the richest people of Dordrecht in 1691.