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Lot Essay
Originally taught by his father Bartholomew, Eugene Verboeckhoven began exhibiting publicly at a very early age. By 1823, he was already sending works to exhibitions abroad, winning a silver medal in Douai in 1823 and he was awarded a gold medal at the 1824 Paris Salon. That same year, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam purchased a painting and the young artist's reputation was made.
High demand for the artist's works resulting in a prolific output over a long career of more than sixty years, and his work was sought after by American and European collectors alike. During his long life, Verboeckhoven was awarded many honors, including memberships in the Academies of Antwerp, Brussels and St. Petersburg, and he was awarded the Croix de la Légion d'Honneur, the Order of Léopold de Belgique, the Order of Christ of Portugal and the Iron Cross of Germany.
The main focus of his compositions was animals, either cattle or sheep. Verboeckhoven, an exquisite draughtsman, was able to capture every detail of these animals, and was equally adept at portraying them in motion. His ability to capture the light at various times of day was equally admired, and all these components come together in the present composition, which is extraordinary in the way the artist has brought together the various elements of the composition. The sheep are beautifully rendered, and the details of the complicated landscape, with the sea in the distance, the rising hillock in the center of the composition and the ominous sky are all bathed in a silvery light.
High demand for the artist's works resulting in a prolific output over a long career of more than sixty years, and his work was sought after by American and European collectors alike. During his long life, Verboeckhoven was awarded many honors, including memberships in the Academies of Antwerp, Brussels and St. Petersburg, and he was awarded the Croix de la Légion d'Honneur, the Order of Léopold de Belgique, the Order of Christ of Portugal and the Iron Cross of Germany.
The main focus of his compositions was animals, either cattle or sheep. Verboeckhoven, an exquisite draughtsman, was able to capture every detail of these animals, and was equally adept at portraying them in motion. His ability to capture the light at various times of day was equally admired, and all these components come together in the present composition, which is extraordinary in the way the artist has brought together the various elements of the composition. The sheep are beautifully rendered, and the details of the complicated landscape, with the sea in the distance, the rising hillock in the center of the composition and the ominous sky are all bathed in a silvery light.