49 Hendrik Willem Mesdag (1831-1915) Fishing boats at sea, Scheveningen signed and dated ‘HW Mesdag 1898’ (lower right) oil on canvas, 110x80 cm
In this atmospheric seascape, Hendrik Willem Mesdag depicts three bomschuiten setting out to sea, evoking the rhythm of daily life along the Dutch coast. The presence of seagulls in the sky and the suggestion of wind and salt-laden air lend the scene its characteristic Scheveningen atmosphere. This artwork, executed in 1898, is exemplary of Mesdag’s maritime oeuvre of the late 19th century. Born in Groningen in 1831, Mesdag did not begin his artistic career until his thirties. Initially inspired by the style of the French Barbizon School, he painted landscapes before almost exclusively moving to marine subjects. Mesdag lived with his wife, Sientje Mesdag- van Houten (1834-1909), in The Hague, while maintaining a studio in Scheveningen to observe the North Sea on a daily basis. His seascapes and beach scenes are dominant in his oeuvre and beloved by art enthusiasts and collectors of the Hague School. Mesdag’s international reputation was firmly established at the Paris Salon of 1870, where he received a gold medal for the large painting ‘Les brisants de la Mer du Nord’. From that moment on, Mesdag devoted himself to depicting the North Sea, became even more productive, and developed his own recognisable style. The present lot, formerly on long-term loan to Het Scheepvaartmuseum in Amsterdam, is a fine example of Mesdag’s mature style. The composition is structured around the three bomschuiten, with additional vessels in the distance to create depth and emphasize the vastness of the sea. The North Sea has its own character and is always the main subject in his paintings. The water is not blue or green but painted in a restrained colour palette of browns, greys, and whites. Broad, confident brushstrokes are characteristic of Mesdag’s seascapes. They are a convincing depiction of movement, underscoring Mesdag’s mastery in capturing the ever-changing conditions of the sea. Waves splash against the ships, sails are being hoisted, seagulls soar in the sky; one could almost hear the sea and feel the fresh breeze through the wild brushstrokes of Hendrik Willem Mesdag.
€60,000 - €90,000
Literature: -Johan Poort, ‘Hendrik Willem Mesdag 1831-1915, Oeuvrecatalogus’, Wassenaar 1989, ill. p. 258, no. 1898.9. Provenance: -With Kunsthandel A. Preyer, Amsterdam/The Hague, inv. no. 2723, as: ‘Pinken voor anker’ (label attached to the stretcher).
-Auction, Drouot, Paris, 21 April 1904, lot 4. -With Kunsthandel Scholtens, Groningen. -Private collection, the Netherlands.
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