born Jan. 13, 1596, Leiden, Neth.
died April 27, 1656, The Hague
Dutch painter and etcher.
He studied in Leiden and Haarlem before settling at The Hague in 1632. Confining himself primarily to the scenery of Holland, he painted on wood panels; intricate detail, low horizons, and subtle atmospheric effects characterize his work. He excelled at capturing the moods of sky and water, Dutch cities, and lowland winter scenes. A prolific draftsman, he also executed many landscape etchings. He had numerous imitators. With Salomon van Ruysdael , he was the outstanding master of tonal landscape painting in 17th-century Holland.