Matthijs Maris Dutch, 1839-1917

Matthijs Maris was the middle child of the three Maris brothers; Jacob was the oldest, Willem the youngest. At thirteen years old, he was admitted to the Haagse Teekenacademie. He also served his apprenticeship with the marine painter Louis Meijer. Queen Sophie granted him an allowance, which gave him the opportunity to complete his education at the academy of Antwerp, following his brother Jacob. In Antwerp, Matthijs Maris became familiar with the work of German Romantic illustrators like Rethel and Richter. These artists illustrated the collections of poems by Goethe, Schiller and the Grimm brothers. These artists were of a lasting influence on Matthijs Maris’ work.

While both of his brothers were developing themselves as prominent artists of the Hague School, Matthijs went his own way. Although his early landscapes from the surroundings of Oosterbeek and Wolfheze have strong connotations with those of Mauve and Gerard Bilders, his later pieces, like Doopgang te Lausanne, show his Romantic inclination. Over the years, his imagination would become of a greater influence on the atmosphere of his work than the rendering of reality. In 1869, he settled in Paris and stayed there even when his brother Jacob went back to The Hague for good. Initially, he worked for the Parisian art shop Goupil, who sold his paintings. Later on, he kept in touch with the art dealers E. J. van Wisselingh and Daniel Cottier, who convinced him to settle in London. Here, he painted his highly imaginative scenes: fairytale characters and enchanted castles. He grew lonelier and lonelier and eventually died forlorn in London in 1917.

This quick oil paint sketch is probably from the early period of Matthijs Maris’ work. She very much reminds of the girls in traditional Italian dress that Jacob Maris painted during his time in Paris. The art dealer Vincent van Gogh Snr, an uncle of the painter, introduced Jacob Maris to the Parisian artist Ernest Hébert, who was renowned for his Italiennes. Jacob Maris made his debut with Italiaans meisje at the Parisian Salon in 1866. Matthijs Maris had already drawn girls in Italian dress at the drawing academy in The Hague and his brother’s success very likely stimulated him to continue this course. This oil paint sketch probably dates from the beginning of the time Matthijs spent in Paris, about 1870.