Barend Cornelis Koekkoek Dutch, 1803-1862

Collection Kunsthandel Heye & Biller
Sale Amsterdam (C.F. Roos), 25 April 1893, no. 38, illustrated

“Beautiful summer landscape, resplendent with freshness, showing a multitude of rich foliage, expands under the abundance of a playful spring atmosphere”.
These first, jubilant lines Dr. Friedrich Gorissen used to describe the present lot in his Werkverzeichnis B.C. Koekkoek 1803-1862 capture the spirit of this painting perfectly. It was exactly this rendition of elements that gained Barend Cornelis Koekkoek international recognition and the title “Prince of landscape painters”.

Because the flat Dutch countryside failed to keep Koekkoek’s romantic soul satisfied for very long, he moved to the old Duke town of Cleves in 1834 at the age of 31. There, the mountainous river valleys and age-old woods that had attracted artists since the seventeenth century, matched his romantic ideals perfectly. Soon large oak trees, winding paths and panoramic views filled his paintings with an artful blend of minute detail and atmospheric mood. He developed his own style, known as “Cleves Romanticism”, which coupled the sincere study of nature (realism) with an idealized view of the landscape.

In Cleves he gained international recognition with his majestic panoramas. Important collectors such as King Willem II, the Russian Tsar Alexander II and King Friedrich IV of Prussia bought his work. Many artists flocked to Cleves, wishing to be instructed by the great master. In 1841 Koekkoek founded his own academy instructing young, talented painters along the lines which he had set out in his book Herinneringen en meededelingen eenen landschapschilder (published 1841).

The present lot is a classic Koekkoek summer landscape, painted at the height of his career in the 1850s. It can be located somewhere in the Cleves region. The artist structured the composition in a for him typical manner: in the foreground the eye is drawn to the sparkling forest stream, where cows water. Just behind the flock two figures are fishing for trout. More to the right, dominating the scene, is a group of majestic oaks, which for Koekkoek represented the divine symbol of creation. To the right, a group of peasants travel a forest path on their donkeys. This composition forces the eye of the beholder to ‘travel’ through the landscape before grasping it completely.

In this, as well as in the sparkling light effects and masterful rendered details, Koekkoek surpasses all contemporary painters. The fresh colours, imposing sky and bright sunlit spots render an unusual clarity to the scene. This summer landscape can truly be counted among the masterpieces in Koekkoeks oeuvre.