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Lot Essay
Barend Cornelis Koekkoek (1803-1862) was born into a family of talented painters. His father Johannes Hermanus Koekkoek (1778-1851) was an esteemed marine painter. Barend Cornelis himself went on to gather critical acclaim for his romantic landscapes. In his view, nature equalled perfection. A great appreciation for all that nature has to offer shines through in many of his paintings. They are a poetic representation of reality, enhanced by a wondrous reflection of light. The artist considered light to be the heart and soul of life: "Beschouwt vooral de werking van het licht, want dat is de ziel van alles". Light guides the viewer's eyes through each painting, touching upon all important aspects of the landscape and the people that inhabit it. The present lot is a wonderfully executed demonstration of Koekkoek's characteristic play with light. The dark forest is set off by the patches of light on the path situated in the centre of the composition. We see a man resting near a stream and a village in the distance. An intelligent and meticulous composition transforms this seemingly simple event into a view of an idyllic world long gone.
During his lifetime Koekkoek was highly acclaimed and received numerous awards and decorations. King Willem II of the Netherlands, King Friedrich-Wilhelm IV of Prussia and Czar Alexander II were among his patrons and he received a great many commissions to that end. The first purchase by King Willem II of a work by Koekkoek was Het boslandschap met stoffage van boeren en vee which was executed in 1839. Koekkoek had won two Gold Medals with it, in The Hague in 1839 and in Paris in 1840. Koekkoek had reached the height of his artistic mastership in the 1840's. He was awarded a Gold Medal in Paris in 1840 for a landscape painted for the Prince of Orange, who later became King Willem II of the Netherlands. In 1843 Koekkoek received his second Gold Medal at the Paris Salon, confirming his status as the leading Romantic landscape painter of his time. It was also the year in which he moved into his purpose built studio "Belvedere" which was erected on the fundaments of an old city tower in Cleves and gave Koekkoek wonderful views of the town.
Koekkoek's lesson-book for young painters, 'Herinneringen en Mededeelingen van eenen landschapsschilder', which was published in Amsterdam in 1841, was conceived as a description of his journey along the Rhine, whereby he took the reader as a pupil by the hand, drawing his attention to the many specialities and characteristics of landscape and the architectural elements within it. In the year of the book's publication, Koekkoek founded a Drawing Academy in Cleve, where he instructed many young artists who wished to be tutored by such a successful painter according to the rules of his book. The basis was laid for what later became known as 'Cleves Romanticism.'
In 1909 the present lot was acquired by Frederick Taylor Gates (1853-1929), a clergyman, educator, and the principal business and philanthropic advisor to the major oil industrialist and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Sr., from 1891 to 1923, since then the painting has remained in his family.
We would like to thank drs. Guido de Werd for kindly confirming the authenticity of the present lot after firsthand examination.
During his lifetime Koekkoek was highly acclaimed and received numerous awards and decorations. King Willem II of the Netherlands, King Friedrich-Wilhelm IV of Prussia and Czar Alexander II were among his patrons and he received a great many commissions to that end. The first purchase by King Willem II of a work by Koekkoek was Het boslandschap met stoffage van boeren en vee which was executed in 1839. Koekkoek had won two Gold Medals with it, in The Hague in 1839 and in Paris in 1840. Koekkoek had reached the height of his artistic mastership in the 1840's. He was awarded a Gold Medal in Paris in 1840 for a landscape painted for the Prince of Orange, who later became King Willem II of the Netherlands. In 1843 Koekkoek received his second Gold Medal at the Paris Salon, confirming his status as the leading Romantic landscape painter of his time. It was also the year in which he moved into his purpose built studio "Belvedere" which was erected on the fundaments of an old city tower in Cleves and gave Koekkoek wonderful views of the town.
Koekkoek's lesson-book for young painters, 'Herinneringen en Mededeelingen van eenen landschapsschilder', which was published in Amsterdam in 1841, was conceived as a description of his journey along the Rhine, whereby he took the reader as a pupil by the hand, drawing his attention to the many specialities and characteristics of landscape and the architectural elements within it. In the year of the book's publication, Koekkoek founded a Drawing Academy in Cleve, where he instructed many young artists who wished to be tutored by such a successful painter according to the rules of his book. The basis was laid for what later became known as 'Cleves Romanticism.'
In 1909 the present lot was acquired by Frederick Taylor Gates (1853-1929), a clergyman, educator, and the principal business and philanthropic advisor to the major oil industrialist and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Sr., from 1891 to 1923, since then the painting has remained in his family.
We would like to thank drs. Guido de Werd for kindly confirming the authenticity of the present lot after firsthand examination.