AARTGEN, or AERTGEN, a painter of merit, was the son of an woolcomber, and born at Leyden in 1498. He worked at his father's trade until he had attained the age of eighteen; and then, having discovered a genius for designing, he was placed with Cornelius Engelheitz, under whom he made a considerable progress in painting. He became so distinguished, that the celebrated Francis Floris went to Leyden out of mere curiosity to see him. He found him inhabiting a poor half ruined hut, and in a very mean style of living: He solicited him to go to Antwerp, promising him wealth and rank suitable to his merit; but Aartgen refused, declaring that he found more sweets in his poverty than others did in their riches. It was a custom with this painter never to work on Mondays, but to devote that day, with his disciples, to the bottle. He used to stroll about the streets in the night, playing on the German flute, and in one of these frolics was drowned in 1564.