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Pieter Bout (between 1640 and 1658 – between 1689 and 1719) was a Flemish painter, draughtsman and etcher. He is known mainly for his landscapes, city, coast and country views and architectural scenes painted in a style reminiscent of earlier Flemish masters such as Jan Brueghel the Elder.
Even while Bout was well-known in his time as demonstrated by his frequent collaborations with prominent Flemish painters and his substantial output, the details of his life are not very well established. He was probably born in Brussels somewhere between 1640 and 1658. It is not known with whom he studied. He became a master in the Brussels Guild of Saint Luke in 1671 but his earliest work is dated 1664 and therefore predates his enrolment in the Guild.
Although primary sources do not confirm this, it is believed that from c. 1675 to 1677 Bout worked in Paris where he frequently collaborated with Adriaen Frans Boudewyns, a Flemish painter residing in Paris at the time. Bout returned to Brussels in 1677 and remained active in Brussels for the rest of his career although he probably visited the Dutch Republic and Italy.
The date of his death is uncertain with some placing it as early as 1689 and others as late as 1719 (based on the date of a painting the dating of which has given rise to some doubt).
This etching depicts the fish-maket on the shore at Scheveningen. In today's Netherlands, it is a popular tourist resort, while in the 19th century it was a famous artists' haunt for the Hague School. Nearer Bout's time, it was a favoured location for Adriaen van de Velde (1636-72). Here it provides a picturesque location for a genre (everyday life) scene. Several fishermen are seated with their wares in front of a boat - very likely their fishing vessel - which is up on the dry, with its mast dropped to the left. Beside it is a small, wooden crude hut. On the right, we see more figures walking along the beach and sailboats in the distance.
See: Wikipedia, 'Pieter Bout', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pieter_Bout
Dr Mark Stocker Curator, Historical International Art March 2019