Wouter Verschuur

Mr. Sarluis, The Hague, 1872
Sale: Frederik Muller & Cie, Amsterdam, 13 April 1920, lot 272
Heijn Family (probably purchased at the above sale); thence to Mr. R. J. Heijn
Purchased from the above by the present owner in 1999 
 

The Hague, Tentoonstelling van Leevende Meesters, 1872, no. 340

Verschuur painted this exceptionally large oil in 1872 after an extended stay in Menton. Menton for centuries had been under the rule of the Prince of Monaco and twelve years earlier, during the French Revolution, it was purchased by France. It soon became a popular tourist destination due in part to the Mediterranean climate. The flurry of activity and the excavation of rocks with the help of horses, captured expertly by Verschuur, is no surprise as grand houses and gardens were quickly erected across the city.