Anthon Gerard Alexander, Ridder van Rappard Dutch, 1858-1892

J.W. Brouwer a.o., Anthon van Rappard. Companion & Correspondent of Vincent van Gogh. His life and all his works, Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam, Amsterdam/Maarsen 1974, p. 26, pp. 105-107
J. Meerdink, 'Een Zeister vriend van Vincent van Gogh. De schilder Anthon van Rappard', Seijst. Bull. ter Bevordering van de Kennis van de Geschiedenis van Zeist, 1990, p. 41

From 1880 till 1885 Van Rappard was a close friend of Vincent van Gogh, who shared his artistic ideas. In 1882 Van Rappard visited the Institute of the Blind in Utrecht, where he portrayed the inhabitants with great simplicity, avoiding any trace of the anecdotal. 'He studies the figure carefully, not just as a touch of color (...) but more seriously in its shape and structure', Vincent van Gogh wrote admiringly. About six years later, in 1888-1891, Van Rappard returned to Utrecht and painted a series of blind brushmakers and basket weavers, evidencing his great talent as a portraitist. The present lot is a fine example of this.