River view – Dirk Verrijk, 1734-1786

A VILLAGE ON THE OUDE RIJN RIVER

Drawing in pen and grey wash by Theodorus, known as ‘Dirk‘ Verrijk (1734–1786). Size: 25 × 37.7 cm.

Fine eighteenth-century village view beside a broad waterway, probably the Old Rhine. Houses, a windmill and a church tower line the bank; sailing boats and rowing boats lie on the water, while fishermen and boatmen animate the scene. The location has not been identified with certainty, but the composition fits well within Verrijk’s favoured repertoire of villages, country houses, windmills and river views in Holland and Utrecht.

Dirk Verrijk (1734–1786) was one of the important Dutch topographical draughtsmen of the second half of the eighteenth century. He often made an accurate sketch on the spot, which he later worked up into a finished drawing. Although this village view need not represent an exactly identifiable location, Verrijk evokes an idealised image of the prosperous Dutch waterside landscape.

The subtle tonal variations give the sheet depth: the foreground is strong and detailed, while the buildings and boats in the distance gradually dissolve into the light. The result is an intimate yet lively image of a village in which water, trade, labour and landscape are inseparably connected.

Price: Euro 1.650,-