Though Anton Mauve is especially famous for his sheep herding scenes, this atmospheric painting of fashionably clothed men, riding horse on the Dutch seashore, is undoubtedly one of his highlights. Mauve (1838-1888) was a famous landscapist in his days and he had a major influence on his cousin-in-law Vincent van Gogh whom he encouraged to become a professional artist. Mauve worked in a much more traditional manner than his younger relative, known as Dutch Impressionism or ‘The Hague School’.
The most intriguing element of this painting is probably the dazzling variation of light that spreads over the canvas, suggesting a huge amount of motion and dynamism. Personally, when I look at the scene, it’s almost like I can feel the wind blow and hear the seagulls scream.
That beautiful light proved to be even clearer than previously thought some years ago, when the picture was cleaned and its yellowed varnish was removed. The same restoration revealed another surprising detail: the appearance of the horse droppings on the sand. A previous owner of the work apparently considered the excrements indecent and had them painted over.
The most intriguing element of this painting is probably the dazzling variation of light that spreads over the canvas, suggesting a huge amount of motion and dynamism. Personally, when I look at the scene, it’s almost like I can feel the wind blow and hear the seagulls scream.
That beautiful light proved to be even clearer than previously thought some years ago, when the picture was cleaned and its yellowed varnish was removed. The same restoration revealed another surprising detail: the appearance of the horse droppings on the sand. A previous owner of the work apparently considered the excrements indecent and had them painted over.
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