Port town on a river mouth – Hendrik Vettewinkel, 1847

Merchant ship at a port town on a river mouth. Drawing in pen, gray, and brown washes by Hendrik Vettewinkel. Monogrammed in the lower left corner “HV 1847” and signed on the back “Hdk. Vettewinkel Dsz. fec.” Size: 25.5 x 37.5 cm.

Hendrik Dsz. Vettewinkel (1809-1878) depicted this river mouth in a way often seen during in Romanticism. It evokes an image or atmosphere rather than representing reality. The calm water, the imagined medieval-looking fortress tower, the heavy sky, and the salute from the merchant ship are melancholic references to a Dutch maritime past.

In Dutch painting during the first half of the nineteenth century, we do not find heroic historical scenes, grand mountains, exotic fantasies, or thrilling emotions, as was the case in Germany, England, and France. Nevertheless, Dutch painters of that time exhibited a romantic approach, in the sense that they prioritized their personal aesthetic experience over a classical ideal, though without dramatic gestures. In a European context, Dutch Romanticism can be described as much more modest, almost understated, atmospheric, and in a certain sense sentimental. Most works expressed a deep sensitivity to nature and a strong appreciation for the national tradition of marine and landscape painting. Nostalgia predominated, while contemporary elements, such as those reflecting the rise of industry, were almost entirely absent.

Price: Euro 1.450,- (incl. frame)