Meindert Hobbema

Meindert Hobbema, ( born October 31, 1638 Amsterdam, † December 7, 1709 ibid ) was next to Jacob van Ruisdael, the most important Dutch landscape painters in the second half of the 17th century.

Life

Meindert Hobbema married at the age of 30 years on November 2, 1668 in the Amsterdam Oude Kerk Eeltje Vinck of Gorcum, the former kitchen maid of the Regent Lambert Reynst. Groomsmen were the bride's brother Cornelius Vinck and Jacob van Ruisdael. From this, the friendly relations of the two landscape painters is clearly and justify the assumption that Hobbema was a pupil of Ruisdael. In marriage four children were born 1668-1673. He was sealer for wines of the city of Amsterdam through the influence of his wife, and practiced this profession for more than forty years from. The painting he ran from that time only as a second profession, which was quite common for Dutch painters in the 17th century. The couple lived in the Rozengracht, not far from Rembrandt, the impoverished spent his last years here. Also Hobbema's financial circumstances were difficult. He survived his late wife in 1704 for five years and was buried on December 14, 1709 in the arms of the Westerkerk cemetery at Amsterdam.

Artistic development

First, the work Hobbema was under the influence of Cornelis Vroom and Anthonie van Borssom. To 1656 he took first art lessons with Jacob van Ruisdael, who had just moved from Haarlem to Amsterdam. Hobbema's apprenticeship with Ruisdael not seem to have lasted very long, since his first signed work from 1657 shows that he had established himself by then as an independent master. Hobbema remained friends even after his apprenticeship with Ruisdael. Together they traveled through the provinces of the Netherlands to the region of Twente and across the border into Bentheim. Conjectures, Hobbema had continued after his appointment to the sealer painting only as a hobby, is true in view of the extensive work as unlikely. In addition, be valid as a masterpiece painting is created, the avenue of Middleharnis 1689.

Description of the work

The strong influence of Ruisdael work is thematically limited to forest scenes, rivers and isolated views of Dutch towns. While Ruisdael also painted rock formations and evolved from pure landscape painting towards the moral and didactic purpose of the memento mori, Hobbema was less dramatic and brooding. Frequently in his images an appealing light color is predominant, with sparkling sunlight penetrates its landscapes and the sky in intense white and blue lights. The color palette of landscapes is of an olive tone through to gray and russet. Versatile and masterly in execution are the representations of the foliage. With astonishing subtlety light penetrates the clouds and illuminated the ground, or it shines through the leaves to other parts of the foliage and so multiplies the light transmittance of the image. In some images, these effects are exacerbated by light reflections on rivers or ponds. This followed the painting is an intense observation of nature in the vicinity of Amsterdam and traveling up to the Westphalian border. The recurring motifs were multifaceted varies under different lighting conditions, with different colors and in all seasons.

Attributions

The catalog of works by Georges Broulhiet from 1938 has over 500 works of the artist. This scope appears questionable today. Hobbema was too little success during his lifetime and died as an impoverished man. In the 17th century, his name fell into oblivion in the Netherlands and in art descriptions of the 18th century ( Houbraken, Van Gool ) does not mention his name. Instead, experienced the art of Ruisdael a greater demand, which meant that Hobbema's signatures removed and his paintings were also traded as images of Ruisdael. In the second half of the 18th century began, the demand for Hobbema's pictures especially in England to rise ( The early work of the painter Thomas Gainsborough's painting is influenced by the Hobbema ). At the end of the 19th century also reinforced American collectors inquired his works on the art market and the prices developed in line up, it was often too Umdatierungen, false signatures or complete fakes. In this context, the works are Wooded river (dated 1650, formerly collection Bredel ) and huts under trees (dated 1652 collection Ford) to see the Hobbema would have painted at the age of 12 or 14 years. Probably a wrong date or the hand of another artist.

Gallery

Watermill Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

Wind mill on the river Bredius Museum the Hague

The travelers National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Hilly landscape with travelers and pond private Collection

Village with water mills National Gallery London

Farm houses with a path in the woods private Collection

Mill Musée du Louvre Paris