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Lot Essay
Willem Koekkoek was born in 1839 in Amsterdam and was the second son of the marine painter Hermanus Koekkoek Senior (1815-1882). After being trained by his father, Willem specialized in townscapes. Willem Koekkoek lived in Amsterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and London, where his younger brother Hermanus Jun. opened an Art Gallery in 1880. Hermanus Jun. sold, amongst others, his own work, work of his brother Willem and other famous family members.
The present lot is a wonderful example of Willem Koekkoek's talent and skill in rendering a peaceful and idealised view of a typical Dutch town echoing the splendour of the Golden Age. Although the street scene looks authentic, the present lot is a capriccio: an architectonic reconstruction of numerous elements of historical towns which Koekkoek had visited.
Although the majority of Willem Koekkoek's works are imaginary street scenes, he also painted views of Enkhuizen, Utrecht, Haarlem and Breda. His emphasis lies on the fine architecture and strong claire-obscure, always striving for the most attractive and balanced composition. The town views of Cornelis Springer (1817-1891) and Adrianus Eversen (1818-1897) were a great example for the painter.
An important aspect of Willems work is the way he captures the light of a summer's day in its most natural form. Koekkoek had a defining way of using light and shadow in a contrasting manner, in which the shadows served as a repoussoir. In this painting there is a contrast between the foreground of the picture which is darkened by shadow and the background which is sunlit highlighting the beautiful architectural details of the buildings.
The present lot is a wonderful example of Willem Koekkoek's talent and skill in rendering a peaceful and idealised view of a typical Dutch town echoing the splendour of the Golden Age. Although the street scene looks authentic, the present lot is a capriccio: an architectonic reconstruction of numerous elements of historical towns which Koekkoek had visited.
Although the majority of Willem Koekkoek's works are imaginary street scenes, he also painted views of Enkhuizen, Utrecht, Haarlem and Breda. His emphasis lies on the fine architecture and strong claire-obscure, always striving for the most attractive and balanced composition. The town views of Cornelis Springer (1817-1891) and Adrianus Eversen (1818-1897) were a great example for the painter.
An important aspect of Willems work is the way he captures the light of a summer's day in its most natural form. Koekkoek had a defining way of using light and shadow in a contrasting manner, in which the shadows served as a repoussoir. In this painting there is a contrast between the foreground of the picture which is darkened by shadow and the background which is sunlit highlighting the beautiful architectural details of the buildings.