Hendrick Aerts

Hendrick Aerts (alternative names: Hendrick Aertsz., Henricus Arijssel, Hendrik Arts, Henricus A. Rijssel) (probably Mechelen, between 1565 and 1575 – probably Gdańsk, January 1603) was a Flemish painter and draftsman who painted mainly architectural paintings and was active in Gdańsk and Prague.

It was originally assumed that he was from Lille, which at the presumed time of his birth was part of the Southern Netherlands.

Recent research, in particular that conducted by Bernard M. Vermet, has questioned the previous assumptions about the life of the artist and Aerts is now assumed to be a native of Mechelen.

Aerts would then have accompanied Vredeman de Vries to Prague from 1596 to 1599, where he worked as his assistant in the decoration of the ceilings and the reception rooms of Emperor Rudolf II's castle.

Like his presumed master Paul Vredeman de Vries, he exclusively painted fantastic architectural works of imaginary and luxurious palaces and church interiors, in which the human figures often represent allegories.