Dutch painter. He was the pupil of Jan Theunisz. Blanckerhoff (1628-1669). His early works are characterized by light grey tonalities and a very good perspective. Later he became strongly influenced by Ludolf Backhuysen, the most important Dutch marine painter of the later part of the 17th century. Under his influence his marine paintings became more colourful. The majority of his marine paintings was executed between 1667 and 1678. It would appear that Aernout Smit travelled extensively, as some of his pictures of both the Mediterranean shores and of Greece were probably painted from nature. He became a member of the Amsterdam Painter's Guild of Saint Luke in 1688. //