Bernardus Johannes Blommers Dutch 1845-1914

B.J. Blommers was trained as a lithographer in his father's printing studio in The Hague. About the same time he visited evening classes at the Hague Academy, where he met Willem Maris, who became a friend for life and encouraged him to become a painter. Blommers and Maris shared a studio in the Juffrouw Idastraat in The Hague, which became a gathering place for the artists of the Hague School, such as Matthijs Maris, Philip Sadée, Anton Mauve and Louis Apol. Blommers knew many Hague School artists, among them Jozef Israels, who influenced him considerably in his choice for the fishing genre. It is said that Blommers met the nestor of the Hague School on Scheveningen beach, admiring the wonderful view of the sea. Soon after that, Israels became Blommers' main advisor in artistic affairs. In 1882 Blommers moved to Scheveningen, where he had a house built near the beach. From then on, he specialised exclusively in lively views of the dunes and the beach, for which his wife (the Scheveningen born Anna van der Toorn) and children often posed. It earned him great success in Holland as well as abroad, his work finding its way to private collections in the United States, Canada, England and Scotland.

Around the century, Scheveningen changed into a fashionable seaside resort. Blommers disliked the mundane character of the fishing village and took refuge in Zandvoort, where he worked with Philip Sadée. Following the advice of his friend David Artz, he went to Katwijk, where Blommers had himself a house built in 1899, situated near the beach. Blommers stayed here the rest of his career. The picturesque fishing village of Katwijk was very popular at that time, housing more than 170 different artists in the period 1899-1904. The fish market on the beach was an attractive subject that was pictured by many artists, Blommers being one of them.

The present lot, depicting fisherwomen sorting the catch on the beach, was probably executed during the artist's stay in Katwijk. This wonderful painting, impressive in its size, was painted at the height of Blommers' career, when he had adopted a broader, loose style, which is perfectly in tune with that of contemporary Hague School artists.