Artwork
Apen in een kooi, genaamd 'Heimwee'
Apen in een kooi, genaamd 'Heimwee' is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Gerrit Jacobus van Soeren. It is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
Stylistically, the work aligns with late nineteenth-century Dutch genre painting, emphasizing quiet introspection and a muted, naturalistic tonality.
The painting is executed in oil on canvas, a medium typical of Gerrit Jacobus van Soeren’s practice in the 1880s. Measuring 111.5 cm in height and 83 cm in width, the composition employs a restrained palette and precise brushwork to render the scene of a monkey in a cage.
The handling balances smooth modeling of the animal’s fur with delicate detailing of the cage bars, indicating careful observation and control. Stylistically, the work aligns with late nineteenth-century Dutch genre painting, emphasizing quiet introspection and a muted, naturalistic tonality.
History & Provenance
Apen in een kooi, genaamd 'Heimwee' is an oil painting by Gerrit Jacobus van Soeren dated 1884. The work was created in that year, as recorded in its inception date, and is executed in oil paint on canvas.
The painting entered the custody of Dutch national heritage institutions, where it is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum and is also associated with the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands Art Collection, the Dienst Verspreide Rijkscollecties, the Rijksdienst Beeldende Kunst, and the Instituut Collectie Nederland. Its current location is listed as the Rijksmuseum depot RCE.
The sources do not provide further details about a commissioning party, prior private owners, or an earlier ownership chain preceding its acquisition by these public collections.
The painting is held in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, accessioned as part of the national collection administered by the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands.
It has been exhibited from the museum’s depot under the RCE inventory system, where it remains in storage rather than on permanent public display.
Context
Gerrit Jacobus van Soeren's 1884 oil painting Apen in een kooi, genaamd 'Heimwee' entered the cultural discourse through its inclusion in the Rijksmuseum's circulating collection. Contemporary genre painting practices emphasized narrative depth within domestic or rustic settings, a tradition this work embodies through its depiction of confinement and yearning. The piece remains part of the Rijksmuseum's depot RCE holdings, reflecting its enduring scholarly and institutional significance within Dutch art history.
Legacy
The painting's presence in the Rijksmuseum's collection and its inclusion in the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands Art Collection have ensured continued public access and scholarly attention. Its designation within the genre art category at the Rijksmuseum underscores its significance within 19th-century Dutch genre painting, preserving its reputation as a representative work of the period's thematic and technical concerns. The work remains part of the Rijksmuseum depot RCE, maintaining its physical and institutional continuity.
Overview
Gerrit Jacobus van Soeren’s 1892 oil painting, titled Apen in een kooi, genaamd ‘Heimwee’, depicts a quiet interior scene within a cage. The composition centers on a solitary monkey seated on a stone‑tiled floor, clutching a piece of cloth, while two additional monkeys appear faintly in the background. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents a domestic‑like setting for the primates, emphasizing their confinement and subdued activity. The muted lighting and the solitary figure suggest themes of longing or nostalgia, hinted at by the title ‘Heimwee’, a Dutch term for homesickness, inviting contemplation of the animal’s inner state within its enclosure.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Gerrit Jacobus van Soeren (1859–1888) was an artist, born in Amsterdam.
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