De Gelder was born and died in Dordrecht. He was one of Rembrandt’s last pupils while in Amsterdam, studying in his studio from 1661 to 1663. He was not only one of the most talented of Rembrandt’s pupils, but also one of his most devoted followers. Following Rembrandt's lead, de Gelder would paint such works as The Baptism of Christ and Ahimelech Giving the Sword of Goliath to David. Story telling, transparent emotionalism, and an emphasis on the humanity of biblical characters are the distinguishing elements of his style.

Inspired by Rembrandt's style, Gelder painted biblical scenes and portraits using his artistic ideas, well into the 18th century, without being influenced by contemporary new fashions. From the artistic point of view, his work cannot be considered as passive imitation of the master. He expresses inventiveness in the narrative, a taste for the theatrical and a strong emotional charge through the characters.^{[citation needed]} All these traits made him one of the most important interpreters of Dutch painting of the late seventeenth century.

• Esther and Mordecai (Budapest, Museum of Fine Arts}
• Judah and Tamar, c. 1681 (Vienna, Gemäldegalerie of the Academy of Fine Arts)
• King David, c. 1683 (Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, inv A 2695)
• The Toilet of Esther, c. 1684 (Munich, Alte Pinakothek )
• Portrait of Tsar Peter the Great (Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum?)
• Self Portrait as Zeuxis (Frankfurt am Main, Städel, inv. no. 1015))
• Passion Series c. 1715 (22 paintings, including ten in Aschaffenburg, Schloss Johannisburg, and two in Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum)
• Portrait of Hermannus Boerhaave with his wife and daughter, c. 1724 (Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, inv A 4034)
• The Marriage Contract, c. 1670 (Brighton Museum & Art Gallery)
• Simeon's song of praise. 1700–1710 (The Hague, Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis)
• Baptism of Christ, c. 1710 (Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Museum)

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  Esther and Mordecai
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  King David, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
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  A lady at her toilet
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  Abraham and the Angels
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  Tamar and Judah
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  Bride (Esther Bedecked)
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  Portrait of an unknown woman (c.1685)
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  Portrait of Ernst van Beveren (1660–1722)
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  Simeon's Song of Praise (1700–1710)
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  The Baptism of Christ (c.1710)

• Chiaroscuro

•   Media related to Aert de Gelder at Wikimedia Commons
• National Gallery, London Archived 2016-08-08 at the Wayback Machine, "Aert de Gelder"
• Paintings and biography at artbible.info
• Works and literature on Aert de Gelder at PubHist
• Dutch and Flemish paintings from the Hermitage, an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on Aert de Gelder (cat. no. 9)