Maes, Nicolaes

(born 1634, Dordrecht, Neth.—died Nov. 24, 1693, Amsterdam) Dutch painter. A native of Dordrecht, he went to Amsterdam c. 1650 to study with Rembrandt, from whom he learned the Baroque style. Before his return to Dordrecht in 1653 he painted a few life-size Rembrandtesque genre scenes. From 1655 to 1660 he painted smaller domestic scenes, usually of women spinning, eavesdropping, reading the Bible, or cooking. In 1673 he moved permanently to Amsterdam and devoted himself to portraiture, abandoning intimacy and the deep glowing colours characteristic of Rembrandt for elegance and cooler tones reminiscent of Anthony Van Dyck. He was a prolific painter, and he achieved great success with his portraits.

Find more information on Maes, Nicolaes. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on Maes, Nicolaes.