Jan Hendrik Weissenbruch, Shell Cart on the Beach, c. 1890

by Atelier Liesjes

In the middle of the beach stands a dark shell cart, seen from the rear, with two tall wheels and a wide, blocky body; a figure in dark clothing walks beside it, almost disappearing into the shadow of the vehicle. To the right, further away near the surf, stands a second cart, also appearing as a dark blotch against the white foam. The beach occupies the lower half of the canvas in thick, wet strokes of brown, ochre and grey-green, with the occasional puddle reflecting the light. Above it runs a narrow line of breaking white water, and then a sky of almost nothing: pearly white, creamy yellow and a faint touch of blue. Here and there, the paint is applied so thickly that the texture of the canvas remains visible.
Weissenbruch paints here with a strikingly loose, almost abstract touch. The long strokes in the sky capture the flat light of late afternoon, whilst short, overlapping strokes suggest the foam of the waves and loose touches of brown and grey depict the sunlight glinting off the wet sand. There is no detail, no face, no narrative: only the relationship between a dark form, a light sky and an endless beach. Therein lies the power of this late work, which takes the Hague School to the very edge of abstraction.
Jan Hendrik Weissenbruch (The Hague 1824 – The Hague 1903) was one of the most important painters of the Hague School. He worked extensively in the areas around The Hague, Kortenhoef and Noordwijkerhout and became famous for his beach scenes, polder landscapes and watercolours. His late oil paintings, in which texture and brushwork take precedence over the subject, earned the admiration of young artists such as Piet Mondrian. He enjoyed working outdoors, en plein air, and allowed the impressions of the moment to take centre stage. A tranquil, light beach scene for a serene interior.