Jan Hendrik Weissenbruch (1824-1903) A moored ship along the river, signed 'J.H. Weissenbruch f' (lower right), oil on canvas, 70x52 cm, Jan Hendrik Weissenbruch is one of the leading figures of The Hague School and was a master in depicting the atmosphere of the typical Dutch polder landscape. He mainly explored different cloud effects above the green polders, as the painter himself once said: ‘’De lucht is de hoofdzaak in een schilderij. Als je lucht niet goed is, dan deugt je schilderij niet. De lucht beheerscht het heele landschap!’’ (see: Hans Janssen, Wim van Sinderen, ‘De Haagse School’, Rotterdam 1997, p. 46). Often his paintings radiate tranquility and emphasize the emptiness and dominance of the landscape, where people play a minor role. This vision on landscape painting is partly inspired by the Dutch romantic school, which was dominant throughout Weissenbruch’s early years. In the beginning of his career one can clearly see his admiration for the famous painter Andreas Schelfhout, one of the pillars of Dutch romanticism, yet Weissenbruch quickly develops his own impressionistic and subtle style. At the end of his career the painter breaks through internationally and is especially popular overseas in Canada and the USA. The present painting clearly shows his approach of depicting an atmospheric sky. The tonality and rhythm of the white puffy clouds against the light blue sky is typical for his way of rendering to canvas a calm day in the Netherlands. The motionless boat, moored alongside the empty quay, accentuates the serenity of the scene. In the background a small village along the river is cast in sunlight, whilst the boat and house in the foreground are visible in the shadows. The colour palette and composition of the painting are completed by a large green tree blocking the brownish façade of the building. The contours of the grey mass of the quay on the right are aligned with the dark rowing boat in the foreground, they both guide the spectators towards the large boat in the centre. Weissenbruch really shows his interpretation of a typical Dutch river landscape and the whole composition exudes an atmosphere of tranquility, making the present spectator dream of a simpler time. Exhibited: -New York, Museum of the Brooklyn Institute of Fine Arts and Sciences (according to Willem Laanstra 1992). -Kortenhoef, Oude Kerkje van Kortenhoef, 'Land van Gabriël', 11-23 June 1990. Literature: -H.E. van Gelder, 'J.H. Weissenbruch', Amsterdam 1940, ill. p. 23, as: 'Haventje', where dated circa 1885. -Willem Laanstra, 'Johan Hendrik Weissenbruch 1824-1903', Amsterdam 1992, ill. p. 127, no. O/70-1. Provenance: -With Kunsthandel Frans Buffa & Zonen, Amsterdam. -With Kunsthandel Arthur Tooth & Sons, London/New York/Paris. -Auction, Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, 7 November 1935, lot 45. -With Kunsthandel R. Polak, The Hague. -Auction, Sotheby's, New York, 19 October 1984, lot 276. Starting price : 20000