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Lot Essay
Born in Amsterdam in 1822, Willem Roelofs is considered to be one of the most important landscape painters of his time. Alongside his education at the Art Academy in The Hague, Roelofs was an apprentice to the romantic cattle and landscape painter Hendrikus van de Sande Bakhuyzen (1794-1860). Roelofs was one of the predecessors of en plein air painting in Holland and his quest for a sincere study of nature was certainly enhanced bij Roelofs' deep admiration for the Barbizon School. In Brussels, where he lived from 1847 until 1887, he was introduced to the work of these French masters, inciting him to make several trips to the woods of Fontainebleau in the early 50s. This left a clear imprint on his art.
In 1847, just before he left for Brussels, Roelofs co-founded the artists society Pulchri Studio in The Hague, where drawing lessons, art reviews and exhibitions were organized. He was also a member of several other artist societies such as Arti et Amicitiae in Amsterdam. Roelofs belonged to the core of the so-called Hague School and in Brussels he gave painting lessons to various talented students such as Paul Gabriel (1828-1903), Alexander Mollinger (1836-1867) and Hendrik Willem Mesdag (1831-1915). Mesdag labelled his teacher the first and foremost renewer of Dutch landscape painting. In 1848 Roelofs' work was exhibited for the first time at the Exposition Generale in Brussels, the Belgian equivalent of the annual Dutch exhibitions for 'Levende Meesters', which showed works by contemporary artists. The exhibition was a great success for Roelofs, evidenced by the fact that the King of Belgium purchased one of his landscapes. Following this success many commissions soon followed.
Roelofs was especially enamoured of the beauty of ordinary things in nature: 'Wat gij en ik onverschillig voorbij-loopen als onaanzienlijk of leelijk, hij blijft er voor staan in stille verrukking, en terwijl gij u afvraagt wat hier te zien is, heeft zijn dichterziel de pozie gevoeld van dit verlaten plekje en hij zal het u weergeven zoo, als het hem trof.'(see: H. Smissaert, 'Willem Roelofs', in: Elsevier's Geïllustreerd Maandschrift, Ed. 1, 1891, p. 431).
In 1847, just before he left for Brussels, Roelofs co-founded the artists society Pulchri Studio in The Hague, where drawing lessons, art reviews and exhibitions were organized. He was also a member of several other artist societies such as Arti et Amicitiae in Amsterdam. Roelofs belonged to the core of the so-called Hague School and in Brussels he gave painting lessons to various talented students such as Paul Gabriel (1828-1903), Alexander Mollinger (1836-1867) and Hendrik Willem Mesdag (1831-1915). Mesdag labelled his teacher the first and foremost renewer of Dutch landscape painting. In 1848 Roelofs' work was exhibited for the first time at the Exposition Generale in Brussels, the Belgian equivalent of the annual Dutch exhibitions for 'Levende Meesters', which showed works by contemporary artists. The exhibition was a great success for Roelofs, evidenced by the fact that the King of Belgium purchased one of his landscapes. Following this success many commissions soon followed.
Roelofs was especially enamoured of the beauty of ordinary things in nature: 'Wat gij en ik onverschillig voorbij-loopen als onaanzienlijk of leelijk, hij blijft er voor staan in stille verrukking, en terwijl gij u afvraagt wat hier te zien is, heeft zijn dichterziel de pozie gevoeld van dit verlaten plekje en hij zal het u weergeven zoo, als het hem trof.'(see: H. Smissaert, 'Willem Roelofs', in: Elsevier's Geïllustreerd Maandschrift, Ed. 1, 1891, p. 431).