拍品專文
Floris Arntzenius, born on Java (Indonesia) in 1864, is traditionally considered to be a member of the late flowers or second generation of the Hague School. Although this classification is justified by his impressionistic brush strokes, Arntzenius' subject-choice and application of colour are far beyond the scope of the famous late nineteenth century paintersschool in question. The present lot supports this thesis.
It is common knowledge that the average Hague School artist would visit the beach of Scheveningen preferably on gray days, then the territory of local fishermen and netmenders. After all the movement is also referred to as the "Gray School".
Floris Arntzenius' pictures on the contrary show much closer resemblances in colour accents and subject matter with the works of for instance his Amsterdam contemporary Isaac Israels. Their comparable impressions of Scheveningen are much brighter, more elegant, flamboyant and spatial. No fisherman's life and hard labour, but beach pleasure, fashion, sun and children playing. Arntzenius' beach scenes are steeped with an urban, almost mondain sentiment, more obvious in for instance his street scenes.
The decisive internal difference between his work and that of his Hague School colleagues should therefore be sought for in Arntzenius' more modern attitude to life. (cf.lit.: D. Welling, Floris Arntzenius, The Hague 1992)
See colour illustration
It is common knowledge that the average Hague School artist would visit the beach of Scheveningen preferably on gray days, then the territory of local fishermen and netmenders. After all the movement is also referred to as the "Gray School".
Floris Arntzenius' pictures on the contrary show much closer resemblances in colour accents and subject matter with the works of for instance his Amsterdam contemporary Isaac Israels. Their comparable impressions of Scheveningen are much brighter, more elegant, flamboyant and spatial. No fisherman's life and hard labour, but beach pleasure, fashion, sun and children playing. Arntzenius' beach scenes are steeped with an urban, almost mondain sentiment, more obvious in for instance his street scenes.
The decisive internal difference between his work and that of his Hague School colleagues should therefore be sought for in Arntzenius' more modern attitude to life. (cf.lit.: D. Welling, Floris Arntzenius, The Hague 1992)
See colour illustration