Cornelis Springer

W. J. R. Dreesmann Collection, Amsterdam

Sale: Frederik Muller, Amsterdam, 6 December 1960, lot 277, as La Cathédrale

Sale: Mak van Waay, Amsterdam, 15 October 1963, lot 441

D.E. de Hulster-Ottevanger, by 1979

Sale: Sotheby's, Amsterdam, 24 April 1989, lot 46

Sale: Christie's, Amsterdam, 24 October 2006, lot 281

Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, no. C 1593 (on loan from D.E. de Hulster- Ottevanger 1979-1984)

Willem Laanstra, H.C. de Bruijn and J.H.A. Ringeling, Cornelis Springer 1817-1891, Utrecht, 1984, no. 50-4, p. 71, as Bij het uitgaan van de kerk met levendige stoffage in de voor de kerk langs lopende straat

From the seventeenth century onwards, Dutch painting became distinguished for its detailed, picturesque town views. Originating in the work of Gerrit Berckheyde and Jan van der Heyden, the genre reached another level of perfection in the magnificently detailed pictures of Cornelis Springer, who remained unchallenged in the nineteenth century as the leading Dutch painter of townscapes. Born into a family of carpenters and building contractors, Springer had a solid knowledge of architecture. His eldest brother Hendrik, a professional architect, taught him architectural drawing and perspective, which would tremendously benefit his skills as a painter of the urban landscape. After completing his studies at the Amsterdam Academy in 1835, Springer became a pupil of Kasparus Karsen, a well-known painter of town views.

Springer enjoyed esteem both in Holland and abroad during his lifetime. In 1850, the year in which the present work was executed, he became an honorary member of the Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam and had attained such renown that he only worked on commission for private collectors and art dealers. His lively, picturesque town views were so much in demand that they were ordered two to three years in advance.

The topography of the present work cannot be identified, which is characteristic of Springer's work at the time. Up to the mid 1850s he specialised in mainly painting capriccio town views following in the footsteps of his teacher Karsparus Karsen (see lots 552 and 553). Karsen initially inspired Springer to paint fantasy town views which followed the contemporary trend of idealising the past and recreating a national heritage. In this composition Springer combined elements of existing church walls, doorways, shops, squares and rows of houses into imaginary scenes. The capriccio church-facade on the right has clearly been beautified and completed with elements which the artist had found in other buildings. Even though the location of the present painting is fantasized, it does give a wonderful impression of everyday life in a 19^th Century Dutch city. The masterful rendition of architectural details and superb play of light and shadow within the different architectural elements make this painting a milestone within the artists oeuvre and confirm Springer’s reputation as one of the most celebrated Dutch painters of his time.