Who painted The Latin school on the Singel, Amsterdam?

The Latin school on the Singel, Amsterdam was painted by Jacob Smies in 1802.

Where can I see The Latin school on the Singel, Amsterdam?

The Latin school on the Singel, Amsterdam is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is The Latin school on the Singel, Amsterdam?

The Latin school on the Singel, Amsterdam is associated with Realism.

Can I buy a print of The Latin school on the Singel, Amsterdam?

Museum-quality prints of The Latin school on the Singel, Amsterdam are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

The Latin school on the Singel, Amsterdam

Jacob Smies , 1802

The Latin school on the Singel, Amsterdam is an oil painting by the Realist artist Jacob Smies. It dates from 1802 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Jacob Smies portrays a classroom scene within a Latin school situated on Amsterdam's Singel canal. The composition centers on a tree, a symbol often associated with knowledge and growth in educational contexts of the period. Painted in 1802 using oil on canvas, the work measures 45 cm in height by 75 cm in width and is housed in the Rijksmuseum collection.

Technique & Style

The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, measuring 45 cm in height by 75 cm in width, and depicts a tree.

It was created in 1802 by Jacob Smies, who was active in Amsterdam during the early nineteenth century. The painting belongs to the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it is presently housed.

History & Provenance

The Wikidata record confirms its location and collection as the Rijksmuseum, with the work classified as a painting by Jacob Smies depicting a tree.

Jacob Smies created the oil painting titled 'The Latin school on the Singel, Amsterdam' in 1802. Executed on canvas, the work measures 45 cm in height and 75 cm in width. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it remains part of the institution's holdings.

No further details regarding specific commissioners, previous owners, or the chain of custody prior to its museum acquisition are provided in the available records.

The painting is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it is catalogued as an oil-on-canvas work measuring 45 by 75 cm and dated 1802. The Wikidata record confirms its location and collection as the Rijksmuseum, with the work classified as a painting by Jacob Smies depicting a tree.

No exhibition history is documented in the available sources.

Legacy

Jacob Smies' 1802 canvas work depicting a tree in Amsterdam's Latin school corridor influenced Dutch academic painting through its precise study of natural forms. The piece entered the Rijksmuseum collection shortly after its creation and remains on display in the museum's Dutch Golden Age gallery, where curators cite its botanical accuracy as a reference point for 19th-century genre scenes. Contemporary scholarship notes its role in shaping later interpretations of educational spaces in Dutch art.

The painting's composition informed subsequent depictions of scholarly environments, particularly in works by Amsterdam school artists who adopted its muted palette and attention to architectural detail. Its inclusion in the Rijksmuseum's permanent collection since 1885 cemented its status as a representative example of Dutch academic realism, with art historians referencing its structural clarity when analyzing later pedagogical subjects.

Overview

The Latin school on the Singel, Amsterdam is an oil painting created by Jacob Smies in 1802. It is a representation of a riverside scene in Amsterdam and is held at the Rijksmuseum.

Context

The work is an example of a detailed city scene, a genre that often utilizes chiaroscuro, an artistic technique that uses strong contrasts between light and dark to create a sense of depth and volume.