HENDRIK WILLEM MESDAG | Fishing Boats at Sunset

J. de Kuijper, The Hague (by 1902; his sale: Frederik Muller & Co., Amsterdam, 30 May 1911, lot 83)
Purchased at the above sale by the great-grandfather of the present owners; thence by descent

Henricus Petrus Bremmer, ‘H.W. Mesdag’, in Moderne Kunstwerken 1, 1903, vol. 5, no. 35 (as Garnalenvisschers)
Johan Poort, Hendrik Willem Mesdag 1831-1915 – Oeuvrecatalogus, Wassenaar, 1989, p. 359, no. 23.01, catalogued & illustrated (as Bateaux de pêche au large)

The canvas has been lined and is securely attached to a keyed wooden stretcher. Some fine lines of hairline craquelure are visible throughout but are not too distracting to the naked eye. Inspection under ultra-violet light reveals no visible sign of retouching. This work appears to be in very good condition and is ready to hang. Presented in a decorative gilt frame. Colours are somewhat deeper in reality than in the catalogue illustration.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

'When we concentrate on Mesdag's work it moves us, as if the salty sea-air had penetrated our nostrils and lungs, as if we felt the fresh sea breeze through the locks of our hair, as if we heard the surf crashing'
Jacques Van Santen Kolff 



The present work powerfully evokes the warmth of the setting sun over the North Sea through a golden palette. While the viewer is presumably standing on the beach, the lack of shoreline along the lower edge takes the eye directly out to sea, while the wide-angle view, central sun and radiant light give the work an immersive appeal. Renowned for depicting the vicissitudes of life at sea in all weathers, Mesdag is here at his most lyrical, in a work of deep peace and harmony.

Hendrik Willem Mesdag was a leading artist of the Hague School, a movement that dominated Dutch painting in the late 19th century. Born into a Groningen family, Mesdag was initially destined for a career as a banker like his father. Instead an inheritance gave him financial independence and, at the age of 35, painting became Mesdag's focus. Turning to his cousin Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema for advice, Mesdag took lessons with Willem Roelofs in Brussels, the first Dutch artist regularly to visit the artists' colony at Barbizon. Breaking with the minutely detailed seascapes of the Romantic School, Mesdag's plein air realism broke new ground in Dutch art.

In May 1869 Mesdag moved to The Hague, making the beach at nearby Scheveningen his subject. International success soon followed, as he received a gold medal at the Paris Salon of 1870 for Breakers in the North Sea (Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam). In 1881 Mesdag painted his 120m-long panoramic view from the Seinpostduin ('Signal box dune') in Scheveningen in four months, assisted by various artists including George Hendrik Breitner (lot 33), Bernardus Johannes Blommers, Théophile de Bock, and his wife Berthe. The panorama remains visible to the public on the Zeestraat in The Hague, the same location where it was painted.