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Lot Essay
Nicolaas van der Waay was a versatile artist who was especially known for his series of charming portrayals of the Amsterdam orphan girls, instantly recognizable in their striking red-and-black uniforms of the Burgerweeshuis.
Although the orphanage governors did not grant Van der Waay permission to paint the girls inside the orphanage, they did gift him a uniform which allowed him to stage scenes with models in his studio and at various locations around the city. Therefore his paintings and drawings cannot be seen as realistic depictions of orphanage life, but rather as romanticized compositions.
The present lot depicts the Sunday procession of the orphan girls walking to church. Every Sunday, they would process in a long line from the orphanage to the Westerkerk on the Prinsengracht, or to the Nieuwe Kerk on Dam Square. The crisp reflections of the girls’ heads can be seen in the glass panes of the Amsterdam cityscape hanging in the background. The girls have modestly casted their eyes downwards as they were not supposed to show any sign of joy or cheerfulness in public. Van der Waay evokes a serene-like scene which likely had little to do with the harsh reality of life in the orphanage.
From the ledger of Van der Waay (dating between 1892 -1936), we know that he made at least three versions of this composition. A large painting called ‘Kirchgang’ in 1901, a smaller version in 1903 (120 x 77 cm) and another version called ‘Kerkgang’ in 1908. The largest version is in the Amsterdam Museum (139 x 210 cm, inv. no. SA 36353), while related drawings and studies are in the collections of the Rijksmuseum and the city archive of Amsterdam.
A parallel can be drawn with Max Liebermann (1847-1935) who also portrayed the Amsterdam orphan girls. However, unlike Van der Waay, Liebermann was granted permission to sketch the orphans inside the Burgerweeshuis. Using a gifted uniform, Liebermann later executed the oil painting The Courtyard of the Orphanage in Amsterdam (1881–82, Städelscher Museums-Verein, inv.no. 1351) in his Munich studio, which would become a key work of early German Impressionism.
Although the orphanage governors did not grant Van der Waay permission to paint the girls inside the orphanage, they did gift him a uniform which allowed him to stage scenes with models in his studio and at various locations around the city. Therefore his paintings and drawings cannot be seen as realistic depictions of orphanage life, but rather as romanticized compositions.
The present lot depicts the Sunday procession of the orphan girls walking to church. Every Sunday, they would process in a long line from the orphanage to the Westerkerk on the Prinsengracht, or to the Nieuwe Kerk on Dam Square. The crisp reflections of the girls’ heads can be seen in the glass panes of the Amsterdam cityscape hanging in the background. The girls have modestly casted their eyes downwards as they were not supposed to show any sign of joy or cheerfulness in public. Van der Waay evokes a serene-like scene which likely had little to do with the harsh reality of life in the orphanage.
From the ledger of Van der Waay (dating between 1892 -1936), we know that he made at least three versions of this composition. A large painting called ‘Kirchgang’ in 1901, a smaller version in 1903 (120 x 77 cm) and another version called ‘Kerkgang’ in 1908. The largest version is in the Amsterdam Museum (139 x 210 cm, inv. no. SA 36353), while related drawings and studies are in the collections of the Rijksmuseum and the city archive of Amsterdam.
A parallel can be drawn with Max Liebermann (1847-1935) who also portrayed the Amsterdam orphan girls. However, unlike Van der Waay, Liebermann was granted permission to sketch the orphans inside the Burgerweeshuis. Using a gifted uniform, Liebermann later executed the oil painting The Courtyard of the Orphanage in Amsterdam (1881–82, Städelscher Museums-Verein, inv.no. 1351) in his Munich studio, which would become a key work of early German Impressionism.