Peasant on a Forest Lane
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Oil on panel
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30.5 x 23.5 cm
(12 x 9.3 in) Studio stamp in lower right corner.
Annotation on reverse: "Den Haag 7 Augustus '50, Ondergeteekende, verklaart hiermede dat dit olieverfschilderij, voorstellende Boerderij onder geboomte, op de voorgrond boer op de weg, waarlangs sloot, links achtergrond wilgen, het geheel in donkere tinten bij regenachtig weer, geschilderd is door zijn grootvader J.H. Weissenbruch en uit de nalatenschap afkomstig. A. Boer"
- Dutch
about
The composition of this painting is characteristic for the work of Johannes Hendrik Weissenbruch. It shows a landscape with large trees on the right side; our eye is drawn along a forest lane with a peasant. The scene is dominated by dark tones of grey, brown and green. A typical Weissenbruch feature is the division in the composition; a heavy clouded sky that takes three quarter of the panel and a low horizon.
Weissenbruch gave the scene a sensational depth by creating a contrast between the dark trees and the clouds. Furthermore the stormy sky has contrast as well in the white and darker parts, instigating a striking dynamic. The subtle white hint of the farm, which is hidden in the forest, keeps attracting the attention of the viewer.
The painting bears a stamp of Weissenbruch’s studio and has an interesting reverse side as well. Underneath a red seal is a label with an old writing by Weissenbruch grandson. He declares this painting as being an original by his grandfather and states that the work came from his inheritance.
Johannes Hendrik Weissenbruch
The Hague, The Netherlands
d. 24.03.1903
The Hague, The Netherlands
Hendrik Johannes ‘J.H.’ Weissenbruch was born in The Hague on June 19, 1824 and passed away in the same city on March 24, 1903. He is considered to be one of the most important painters of the Dutch Hague School. Until his death he lived in The Hague and during his life he painted mainly landscapes in the vicinity, like Scheveningen and Haarlem and the Dutch polders of Boskoop, Gouda an . . .
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