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Lot Essay
Cornelis Springer grew up in a family of architects and building contractors in Amsterdam. His brother Hendrik taught him the art of architectural drawing and the principles of perspective at an early age, which was to shape his favorite subject matter: townscapes. He studied at the Amsterdam Academy of Fine Arts under Jacobus van der Stok (1795-1874) and Herman Frederik Carel Ten Kate (1822-1891). Inspired by the earlier Dutch 17th and 18th Century town view painters such as Jan van der Heyden (1637-1712), Gerrit Berckheyde (1638-1698) and Isaac Ouwater (1750-1793), Springer choose to follow lessons from the town view painter Kaspar Karsen (1810-1896). Although his predecessors focused on painting townscapes with topographical precision, Springer's early works are characterized by fantasy town views.
Springer was 18 years old when he started receiving lessons from Kaspar Karsen, and would remain with him until 1837. His fantasy town views which followed the contemporary trend of idealizing the past and recreating a national heritage. Recognition for his work soon came, being awarded a silver medal in 1843 and a gold medal in 1847. From the early 1850's onwards, Springer abandoned the fantasy element in his work and concentrated on existing topographical locations, following an increasing interest in topographical accuracy from collectors at the time. This was also the time Springer reached such fame that he only worked on commission for private collectors and art dealers. A waiting list of two years in this period was testimony to the great popularity of his work. A patron would choose a composition on the basis of the sketches, after which Springer would paint the version in oil.
The present lot is a fine example of Springer's realistic representation of a city. Here he has depicted the picturesque Singel in his birth town Amsterdam, the entrance of the Mennonite Church known as 'Het Lam' is seen on the right hand side and is an exact representation of a façade which hasn't changed for many centuries. He has, however, combined this topographical accuracy with figures dressed in 17th Century clothing creating the appearance of Amsterdam in the Golden Age. As we see in the support illustration Springer would create city views with 17th Century figures or choose contemporary staffage.
This painting shows one of the most beautiful stretches of canal in Amsterdam as it would have looked during the Golden Age. This, combined with Springer's extraordinary attention to detail form a captivating and very rare work of art.
Springer was 18 years old when he started receiving lessons from Kaspar Karsen, and would remain with him until 1837. His fantasy town views which followed the contemporary trend of idealizing the past and recreating a national heritage. Recognition for his work soon came, being awarded a silver medal in 1843 and a gold medal in 1847. From the early 1850's onwards, Springer abandoned the fantasy element in his work and concentrated on existing topographical locations, following an increasing interest in topographical accuracy from collectors at the time. This was also the time Springer reached such fame that he only worked on commission for private collectors and art dealers. A waiting list of two years in this period was testimony to the great popularity of his work. A patron would choose a composition on the basis of the sketches, after which Springer would paint the version in oil.
The present lot is a fine example of Springer's realistic representation of a city. Here he has depicted the picturesque Singel in his birth town Amsterdam, the entrance of the Mennonite Church known as 'Het Lam' is seen on the right hand side and is an exact representation of a façade which hasn't changed for many centuries. He has, however, combined this topographical accuracy with figures dressed in 17th Century clothing creating the appearance of Amsterdam in the Golden Age. As we see in the support illustration Springer would create city views with 17th Century figures or choose contemporary staffage.
This painting shows one of the most beautiful stretches of canal in Amsterdam as it would have looked during the Golden Age. This, combined with Springer's extraordinary attention to detail form a captivating and very rare work of art.