Anthony Jansz Van der Croos
Fishermen on the edge of a village , dated 1654
Oil on panel
Signed and dated lower right
Dimensions: 27.5 x 45.5 cm
With frame: 42 x 60 cm
Provenance: Maître Savot, Orléans, sale of November 23, 2000
sold
A peaceful scene of everyday life, typical subject of the golden age of Dutch painting, a warm bronze palette, the finesse of the drawing, a layout made up of several planes, foliage in Chinese shadow from the foreground to the bridge of the background gives this work an undeniable charm.
Dutch painter of the Golden Age. This period in the history of the Netherlands between 1584 and 1702, which saw the republic of the United Provinces (now the Netherlands), rise to the rank of the first commercial power in the world, while the rest of Europe debate in the throes of a recession is good for artists. The freedom of the expression “golden age” covers above all a still unprecedented flowering of culture and art, often confined to the many masterpieces of Dutch painting from the 17th century. gold of Dutch painting»
One of the striking features of this period, compared to the previous one, is the small number of religious paintings. Indeed, Dutch Calvinism prohibited religious paintings in churches, and although biblical subjects were tolerated in private homes, very few were actually produced. Other traditional genres, such as history painting and portraiture, were present, but the Dutch Golden Age is particularly notable for its vast variety in other genres, such as scenes of peasant life, urban views, landscapes with animals, naval battle scenes, and still lifes. The development of most of these genres was decisively influenced by 17th-century Dutch artists.
Anthonie Jansz van der Croos was born around 1606 in Alkmaar in the Netherlands. In 1634 he moved to The Hague. The painter became a member and secretary of the Confrérie Pictura in The Hague in 1656. He is known for creating landscapes of rivers, forests, with villages, castles, palaces or towers in the background.
The technique of the Dutch artists is excellent. Jan Van Goyen was the teacher and influenced his work.
Museums:
• In the Netherlands: Bredius Museum in The Hague; Amsterdam Rijksmuseum.
• In Paris, the Louvre. In France: Musée des Augustins, Toulouse; Carcassonne Fine Arts Museum.
• Internationally: Art Gallery of Great Victoria, British Columbia; United Kingdom, The Bowes Museum, Durham.
