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Lot Essay
Kruseman was born into a renowned family of artists. He had two well-known cousins, Cornelis Kruseman (1797-1857) and Jan Adam Kruseman Jansz. (1804-1862). For these two artists the figure formed the most important subject in their oeuvre, one being a historical painter, the other painting both historical pictures and portraits. Contrary to his cousins, for Frederik Marinus Kruseman nature and the many facets of landscape painting played the central role.
Kruseman was trained by the respected still life painter Jan Reekers (1790-1858). His parents had entrusted him with this task as Reekers had a guiding hand in the tutelage of Krusemans cousin Jan Adam, who at that time had been appointed Director of the Royal Acadamy of Fine Arts in Amsterdam. Subsequently he apprenticed with Andreas Schelfhout's son-in-law, Nicolaas Roosenboom (1805-1880). Krusemans interest in landscape painting, and especially winter scenes was primarily the work of his new tutor. The apprenticeship ended in 1835, as Roosenboom left for a long journey through Scotland and Devonshire.
Attracted to the rural landscape in the vicinity of Hilversum, the artist moved there for the duration of a year in 1835. Kruseman was influenced by Jan van Ravenswaaij (1789-1869) at this time, although officially Kruseman was not his apprentice. Van Ravenswaaij taught him a great deal about the staffage of his paintings with animals. So keen was Van Ravenswaaij to render his animals truthfully to nature that he even bred his favourite species. These sheep featured in his landscapes but also in his well known stable interiors.
After his stay in Hilversum, Kruseman returned to Haarlem, only to leave shortly afterwards on a journey to Cleves, where the famous Dutch landscape painter Barend Cornelis Koekkoek (1803-1862) had settled in 1834. When asked by the art historian J. Immerzeel Jr., who was compiling his work on Dutch and Flemish masters, Kruseman lists Koekkoek as one of his masters. Although Koekkoek was not accepting any pupils at that time, Kruseman mentions Reekers, Roosenboom and Koekkoek. It would only have been possible to be an official apprentice after 1841, the year in which Koekkoeks Academy of Painting was founded.
However, the fact that B.C. Koekkoek is mentioned in his list of masters does justice to the unmistakable influence the artist had on Krusemans work. The fine treatment of his subject and seemingly effortless technique can only have been the result of close proximity to the Prince of Dutch romantic landscape painting.
The present lot is a fine example of a winter landscape executed to perfection. Every small group of figures tells a story of its own. A small child being pulled along in a sledge on the ice, a man fixing his skates in the shadow of an old mansion, the horse drawn sledge on a track and the numerous figures skating in the distance serve to make this composition appealing in its narration and harmonious in its rendition.
Kruseman was trained by the respected still life painter Jan Reekers (1790-1858). His parents had entrusted him with this task as Reekers had a guiding hand in the tutelage of Krusemans cousin Jan Adam, who at that time had been appointed Director of the Royal Acadamy of Fine Arts in Amsterdam. Subsequently he apprenticed with Andreas Schelfhout's son-in-law, Nicolaas Roosenboom (1805-1880). Krusemans interest in landscape painting, and especially winter scenes was primarily the work of his new tutor. The apprenticeship ended in 1835, as Roosenboom left for a long journey through Scotland and Devonshire.
Attracted to the rural landscape in the vicinity of Hilversum, the artist moved there for the duration of a year in 1835. Kruseman was influenced by Jan van Ravenswaaij (1789-1869) at this time, although officially Kruseman was not his apprentice. Van Ravenswaaij taught him a great deal about the staffage of his paintings with animals. So keen was Van Ravenswaaij to render his animals truthfully to nature that he even bred his favourite species. These sheep featured in his landscapes but also in his well known stable interiors.
After his stay in Hilversum, Kruseman returned to Haarlem, only to leave shortly afterwards on a journey to Cleves, where the famous Dutch landscape painter Barend Cornelis Koekkoek (1803-1862) had settled in 1834. When asked by the art historian J. Immerzeel Jr., who was compiling his work on Dutch and Flemish masters, Kruseman lists Koekkoek as one of his masters. Although Koekkoek was not accepting any pupils at that time, Kruseman mentions Reekers, Roosenboom and Koekkoek. It would only have been possible to be an official apprentice after 1841, the year in which Koekkoeks Academy of Painting was founded.
However, the fact that B.C. Koekkoek is mentioned in his list of masters does justice to the unmistakable influence the artist had on Krusemans work. The fine treatment of his subject and seemingly effortless technique can only have been the result of close proximity to the Prince of Dutch romantic landscape painting.
The present lot is a fine example of a winter landscape executed to perfection. Every small group of figures tells a story of its own. A small child being pulled along in a sledge on the ice, a man fixing his skates in the shadow of an old mansion, the horse drawn sledge on a track and the numerous figures skating in the distance serve to make this composition appealing in its narration and harmonious in its rendition.