'The river Yser near Dixmude and Woumen', ca. 1855
Watercolour on paper, 22 x 28 cm
Signed: lower right 'w roelofs'
Willem Roelofs (1822-1897)
On a viewing day of an auction in 1984, we see between cabinets, tables and chairs, a small Hague School painting in original frame. In the catalog is only mentioned 'watercolour in frame’.
We see the signature (w roelofs) and could hardly believe our eyes: would it really be made by the great 'plein air' painter? At home we compare style and signature with works of Willem Roelofs
in our archive, and, thanks to the special, transparent colours we are sure: it 's him! At the auction we place a bid and the painting is assigned to us for not too much money. If we remove it
from the frame we find a note on the back of H. Rihoux, dated May 27, 1916, showing the description of the location of the watercolour: 'L' Yser - le barrage, les inondations devant Dixmude et
Woumen - à gauche creusé dans la dique avec tranches' (The IJzer - the dam, the flooded land in front of Diksmuide and Woumen – on the left the eroded coves in the dike).
Since then, we cherish this beautiful watercolour, which has been made about 1855, as Willem Roelofs lives in Brussels and find inspiration in the watery West Flanders.
Roelofs, born in Amsterdam, is mentioned in the well-known artists encyclopedia of Peter Scheen 'the great forerunner of the Hague School and a famous landscape painter'. At a very young age he
gets drawing lessons from his mother (an avid amateur watercolour painter) and he continues his education at the Hague landscape painter Hendrik van de Sande Bakhuysen (1794-1860). In 1847 he
is one of the founders of the Hague artists association Pulchri Studio. Shortly after he leaves for the sake of love to Brussels – where he lives until 1887 – and is co-founder of the Société
Belge des Aquarellistes. He continues the contacts with the Netherlands, introduces Dutch painters in the Brussels art scene and returns every summer back to his homeland to paint meadows and ponds
with impressive cloudy skies. Roelofs dies in Berchem near Antwerp.
He frequently has exhibited in both countries, he got many distinctions and many publications about him are released. Works of him hang in many renowned museums.
