Lot Essay
The picture is exactly hundred years old now. In a letter of which a copy will accompany this lot, Mesdag states that he has send the picture from The Hague to Rotterdam in a box marked H.W.M. NY.
In the same letter he complains in a good dutch tradition on the very high duties "I regret very much that the duties are not done away in America for paintings. If this was not the case, the painter should more conclude to send their pictures for private exhibitions to the picture dealers. Now it is not profitable". This photograph refers to the very high duties levied on a work of art whether for sales or exhibition. This duty was repealed in the later 90's of the 19th Century.
From an art-historical point of view this work by Mesdag is very interesting.
First of all it dates the picture to 1891. Secondly it identifies the place and time as an early morning at the beach at Scheveningen. Finally the accompanying letter is also important because of its content on the fact that H.W. Mesdag thought his private collection on european pictures as one of the most important at this time
See colour illustration
In the same letter he complains in a good dutch tradition on the very high duties "I regret very much that the duties are not done away in America for paintings. If this was not the case, the painter should more conclude to send their pictures for private exhibitions to the picture dealers. Now it is not profitable". This photograph refers to the very high duties levied on a work of art whether for sales or exhibition. This duty was repealed in the later 90's of the 19th Century.
From an art-historical point of view this work by Mesdag is very interesting.
First of all it dates the picture to 1891. Secondly it identifies the place and time as an early morning at the beach at Scheveningen. Finally the accompanying letter is also important because of its content on the fact that H.W. Mesdag thought his private collection on european pictures as one of the most important at this time
See colour illustration