(Adam Van), born at Antwerp in 1557, was the son of Lambert Van Oort, a painter of considerable reputation for perspective and architecture. Adam was instructed in the art by his father, and afforded sufficient proofs of his having an enlarged genius; so that he soon rose into esteem, not only as a painter of history, but as an able artist in landscape and portrait. But the greatest honour of Van Oort proceeded from his having been the first instructor of Rubens, whose works have eternized his master's memory, along with his own. Naturally he was of a rough and disagreeable temper, which occasioned him to lose the love of his disciples and his friends; and among the number, he totally forfeited the esteem of Rubens, his best pupil. Jordaens was the only person who accommodated himself to the savage humour of his master; but it appears probable, that he only condescended to endure his morose behaviour, out of affection to the daughter of Van Oort, to whom Jordaens was afterwards married.

In his style of painting, however, he neglected nature, and was entirely a mannerist; nor did he seem to have any regard to painting as a fine art, but merely as an art that might be the means of making him rich. In his best time, his composition was agreeable and his design correct; but in his latter time, his works had nothing to recommend them, except the freedom of handling, and the goodness of their colouring; yet, with all his defects, he was accounted a good painter. Rubens used to say, that Van Oort would have surpassed all his contemporaries, if he had seen Rome, and formed his taste by studying after the best models. He painted a great number of designs for the altars of churches in Flanders, which have much merit in several parts; and they are still beheld with pleasure by good judges.