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Lot Essay
Barend Cornelis Koekkoek's working ethos had always been to draw and paint from nature and when he moved to the Rhenish Cleves in 1834 this philosophy became only more apparent in his work. From 1830 onwards, Koekkoek undertook several journeys along the Rhine and the Ruhr from both The Netherlands and the old ducal city of Cleves where the artist and his wife had settled in 1834. These trips gave him the opportunity to get to know the landscapes and motives whilst drawing and painting, subsequently working out these studies in his studio. Koekkoek is widely considered to be the most important landscape painter of the Dutch Romantic period. This painting, depicting villagers on a wooded path in a Rhenish landscape at sunset, was painted in 1849, when Koekkoek was at the height of his mastery and international recognition.
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 a journey along the Rhine, whereby he took the reader as a pupil by the hand, drawing their attention to the many special characteristics of the landscape and the architectural elements within it. In the year of the book's publication Koekkoek founded a drawing Academy in Cleves (now the Museum Haus Koekkoek, Cleves) where he instructed many young artists who wished to be tutored according to the guidelines of his book. The basis was laid for what later became known as 'Cleves Romanticism.' In contrast with his landscapes from the 1830's, Koekoek's landscapes from the 1840's show many more figures and buildings. These elements are also given a more important role within the overall composition. In this manner, the present painting shows Koekkoek's preference for idealized compositions.
In the current lot he has carefully constructed the undulating landscape of the Rhineland to the south of Bonn with its many plans. Koekkoek was fond of the many-layered scenery that he missed back in the Netherlands and he took full advantage of it. It enabled him to apply multiple technical skills in his paintings. Not only could he depict elaborate trees, but also an atmospheric perspective near the horizon. The space between the first and the last plan was much more extensive than the flat Dutch forest- or polder landscapes. He achieved such accurate representation of nature through setting up his oils in crayon, before applying the paint. With the sharpest pencil it is easier to set up a precise composition than with the smallest brush. In this, he followed in the footsteps of the Old Dutch masters, especially Jacob van Ruisdael (1628-1682), who would sketch before he applied the paint.
In the present lot the artist has captured the special intimate atmosphere of a shepherd resting near a forest lane in the early morning, by letting part of the trees being cut off by the edges of the composition and let the silvery morning light filter through the trees along the path. The warm palette Koekkoek has used creates a lush impression. The pink tones of the sky stand out sharply against the cool green shades of the tree leaves. The clouds are not white, but pink and lilac and the riverside town seems to shimmer in the golden light of the setting sun. The Rhine landscape was ideal for creating a romantic-idealized landscape. This painting is an excellent example of his work from this period.
We would like to thank Drs. Guido de Werd, former director of B.C. Koekkoek-Haus, Cleves, for confirming the authenticity of the present lot.The work will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of Koekkoeks paintings under no. 49/41.
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 a journey along the Rhine, whereby he took the reader as a pupil by the hand, drawing their attention to the many special characteristics of the landscape and the architectural elements within it. In the year of the book's publication Koekkoek founded a drawing Academy in Cleves (now the Museum Haus Koekkoek, Cleves) where he instructed many young artists who wished to be tutored according to the guidelines of his book. The basis was laid for what later became known as 'Cleves Romanticism.' In contrast with his landscapes from the 1830's, Koekoek's landscapes from the 1840's show many more figures and buildings. These elements are also given a more important role within the overall composition. In this manner, the present painting shows Koekkoek's preference for idealized compositions.
In the current lot he has carefully constructed the undulating landscape of the Rhineland to the south of Bonn with its many plans. Koekkoek was fond of the many-layered scenery that he missed back in the Netherlands and he took full advantage of it. It enabled him to apply multiple technical skills in his paintings. Not only could he depict elaborate trees, but also an atmospheric perspective near the horizon. The space between the first and the last plan was much more extensive than the flat Dutch forest- or polder landscapes. He achieved such accurate representation of nature through setting up his oils in crayon, before applying the paint. With the sharpest pencil it is easier to set up a precise composition than with the smallest brush. In this, he followed in the footsteps of the Old Dutch masters, especially Jacob van Ruisdael (1628-1682), who would sketch before he applied the paint.
In the present lot the artist has captured the special intimate atmosphere of a shepherd resting near a forest lane in the early morning, by letting part of the trees being cut off by the edges of the composition and let the silvery morning light filter through the trees along the path. The warm palette Koekkoek has used creates a lush impression. The pink tones of the sky stand out sharply against the cool green shades of the tree leaves. The clouds are not white, but pink and lilac and the riverside town seems to shimmer in the golden light of the setting sun. The Rhine landscape was ideal for creating a romantic-idealized landscape. This painting is an excellent example of his work from this period.
We would like to thank Drs. Guido de Werd, former director of B.C. Koekkoek-Haus, Cleves, for confirming the authenticity of the present lot.The work will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of Koekkoeks paintings under no. 49/41.