Untitled [Amsterdam]

This work is associated with one of the key artists of the Hague School, Jacob Maris (1837-1899). Maris was the son of an etcher and lithographer, and studied first at the Antwerp Academy, then in Paris. From the 1870s he began focusing on landscapes and is considered the most important Dutch landscape painter of the last quarter of the 19th century. His approach to landscape was influenced by the Barbizon school in France, where artists began picturing nature as they saw it, working en plein air and registering their impressions of nature with rapid strokes of colour. Those artists grouped under the name of the ‘Hague School’ in the Netherlands were less interested in conveying a realistic representation of a view than they were in conveying the atmosphere and mood of a landscape. Consequently, as with the French Impressionists, they returned time and again to familiar landscapes, registering the changing effect of light and atmosphere on the same view.

The subject of this work is the Schreierstoren in Amsterdam, a landmark that is still present in the central city, and which was built in the 15th century as part of the medieval city wall. In the Rijksmuseum alone, there are at least four depictions of this subject by Maris from the same perspective, in oil, watercolour and pencil. Regardless of medium, all demonstrate his characteristic style, featuring strong, bold lines, apparently rapid execution, and moody skies. This work bears a close relationship to the watercolour in the Rijksmuseum, and on close examination under magnification, reveals the presence of a reproductive base, possibly a collotype, over which paint has been applied. In the absence of further analysis, it is difficult to estimate a date for the work, but it is likely to be late 19th, or early 20th century. It is near impossible to know whether this reproduction was made under Maris’ direct supervision and with his involvement or not. What is clear is that Maris painted, drew and etched many versions of this scene to satisfy the demands of private collectors, reminding us of the fact that artists were producing works for a market and that reproductions were part of that economy. As the son of a printer, Maris may have been interested in exploring new reproductive media, such as that offered by the potential of photography.

Rebecca Rice, Curator Historical Art, November 2023