Activities on a sunlit beach

Even though the present lot was painted when Nuijen was only eighteen years of age, his artistic career was in full development. Having already received the gold medal from the Genootschap Felix Meritis in 1829, he was awarded the prestigious prize of honour by the Groningse Academie in 1831, the year in which the present lot was executed. This beach scene clearly shows the extent to which Nuyen was influenced by his teacher Andreas Schelfhout (1787-1870), and is typical of the accomplished Dutch romantic style in which he worked prior to the 'foreign' romanticism which characterises his later work.