Seascape Antique Painting of Fishermen at Dusk by George Opdenhoff Ca. 1863

Description

GEORGE WILLEM OPDENHOFF
Dutch, 1807-1873

Fishermen Working at Dusk (1863)

Oil on canvas | signed lower left "G.W. Opdenhoff 1863" … more GEORGE WILLEM OPDENHOFF
Dutch, 1807-1873

Fishermen Working at Dusk (1863)

Oil on canvas | signed lower left "G.W. Opdenhoff 1863" | formerly offered at Christie's, Amsterdam (2004), achieving 16,730 EUR

Item # 404AXP19T

The long shadows and brilliant golden hues of the setting sun cascade across the still waters of the ocean in this extraordinary scene by the Dutch seascape painter George Opdenhoff. Executed at the height of his career in 1863, the scene showcases the tired efforts of fishermen as they settle their boats along the beach at dusk. It is a busy space with dozens of figures in the foreground and background working on their vessels or otherwise engaged. Voluminous clouds rise from the subtle pinks and purples at the horizon into wispy collections of puffy clouds in the sky above, the sun almost entirely diffused behind the dense atmosphere, disappearing into a collection of intense yellows and whites evoked against surrounding clouds as the sun itself is hidden from view. Opdenhoff's ability to capture this magical moment and represent the intense colliding of colors and saturations results in a powerful impact on the viewer.

A scene and composition Opdenhoff was familiar with and played with extensively, he painted very complimentary visions of the same beach in daylight and various similar arrangements of land and vessels as well as inverse versions with the land formation on the left.

This particular example was formerly with Christie's in Amsterdam, where they offered it on April 21st of 2004 and it achieved 16,730 EUR (at the time a conversion rate of 1.1847 for a total purchase price of approximately $ 19,800 USD). Similar scenes have been offered at Christie's, for example the Daylight version of a similar beach of slightly smaller dimensions on 26 Oct 2004 (lot 138) which achieved 31,070 EUR. An overcast version of a similar composition with a low saturation of roughly the same dimensions was offered by Christie's at the same sale as the present example (21 Apr 2004), achieving 13,145 EUR.
GEORGE WILLEM OPDENHOFF
George Willem Opdenhoff was a celebrated Dutch marine painter known for his evocative seascapes and coastal scenes. Born in Fulda, Netherlands on July 7th of 1807, Opdenhoff trained under the tutelage of two prominent painters: Andreas Schelfhout, a master of landscapes, and Johannes Christiaan Schotel, renowned for his maritime depictions. These influences shaped Opdenhoff's focus on marine subjects, especially scenes of ships, harbors, and tranquil coastal waters.

Opdenhoff started his career painting in Breda, later painting in France before settling in Rotterdam and eventually making The Hague his permanent home in 1842. He started exhibiting his work at The Hage in 1835 and continued to do so through 1861, developing a strong reputation for his ability to capture the subtleties of light and atmosphere on water​. He continued to live and work in The Hague through his death on September 23rd of 1873.

His paintings often depicted serene, idyllic scenes of boats and ships along calm seas or harbors, and he was particularly adept at rendering the coastal life of regions like Scheveningen, a district known for its fishing traditions near The Hague. Today, some of his works can be viewed in collections such as The Haags Gemeentemuseum.

Artist Listings & Bibliography:

E. Benezit Dictionary of Artists, Vol. X, Gründ, 2006, p. 611-612


Measurements: 35 5/16" H x 45" W x 2 3/4" D [frame]; 28" H x 38" W [canvas]

Condition Report:
Original stretcher in excellent condition, wax lined with Belgian linen. All keys are present and linen is taut. Ground layer is sound with several areas of small losses that have been carefully inpainted. The paint layer was previously overcleaned (more notably on the left and right sides) with associated inpainting from the restoration of those areas. Our conservator has carefully cleaned the scene, removing the old discolored varnish and old inpainting, sealing in traditional Dammar varnish, filling the various small losses, inpainting the areas of overcleaning and any fillings, then sealing in a final Dammar varnish layer. Housed in a 20th century giltwood composition frame with minor nicks/gilt losses/etc. A very fine presentation, ready to place. less