Barend Cornelis Koekkoek Dutch, 1803-1862

Mr. S. van Walchren van Wadenoyen, The Hague
Fop Smit, Rotterdam, 1875
Sale The Hague, 17-18 November 1875, lot 82 (sold for Dfl. 5050,-)
Private collection, The Netherlands

F. Gorissen, B.C. Koekkoek 1803-1862. Werkverzeichnis der Gemälde, Düsseldorf 1962, no. 48/48

Barend Cornelis Koekkoek, crowned 'Prince of Landscapists' in 1841, was by far the most applauded landscapist of his day. He received his earliest tuition from his father Johannes Hermanus Koekkoek, a gifted marine painter in Middelburg. Already in 1824, Barend Cornelis voiced his wish to apply himself fully to landcape  painting. A two years stay (1826-1827) in the the rural setting of  Hilversum strengthened this decision. The landscapes he painted there were received favourably and in 1829 the art society Felix Meritis awarded one of Koekkoek's summer landscapes with a gold medal.  

The Dutch countryside failed to keep Koekkoek's romantic soul satisfied. 'To be sure', the artist wrote in 1841, 'our fatherland boasts no rocks, waterfalls, high mountains or romantic valleys. Proud, sublime nature is not to be found in our land'. As a consequence of this, Koekkoek moved to Germany in the early 1830's, travelling along the river Ahr, Rhine and Ruhr. In the summer of 1834 he settled in Cleves, where he stayed the rest of his life. The impressive river valleys and age-old woods surrounding Cleves matched his  romantic ideals perfectly. From that moment, large oak trees, winding paths and panoramic views filled Koekkoek's paintings with an artful blend of romantic spirit and minute detail. 'Cleves romanticism', as it came to be called, exercised a great influence on Dutch romantic painting. Many Dutch artists visited him in Cleves,   wishing to be instructed. This was one of the reasons why Koekkoek founded his own academy in 1841, where he taught young painters  the rules of landscape painting as described in his famous book Herinneringen en Mededeelingen van eenen landschapschilder (published in 1841).

The present lot is probably painted in the surroundings of Cleves. It is an excellent example of Koekkoek's mature style. This wonderfully detailed panel shows a traveller and a herdsman in a mountainous landscape.The scene bathes in the beautiful golden glow of the early evening. The incredible wealth of details and the countless nuances of sunlit and shaded areas render an unusual charm to the picture, that stayed in private hands ever since 1875.