Artwork
The so-called Boerenverdriet on the Spui, Amsterdam
The so-called Boerenverdriet on the Spui, Amsterdam is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Jan Ekels the Elder. It dates from 1750 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
5 cm in width, are consistent with the small-scale, finely handled cabinet pictures typical of Jan Ekels the Elder's Amsterdam street scenes.
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, classified as a cityscape and more specifically an architectural painting. Its modest dimensions, 40 cm in height by 48.5 cm in width, are consistent with the small-scale, finely handled cabinet pictures typical of Jan Ekels the Elder's Amsterdam street scenes. The horizontal format favors the architectural rendering of the Spui square, allowing careful articulation of the surrounding facades and the bustling market activity that gives the scene its character.
The medium of oil on canvas supports the precise, descriptive handling associated with this type of topographical view, in which crisp linearity and anecdotal staffage are combined within a tightly constructed perspectival space.
History & Provenance
The painting was created by Jan Ekels the Elder in 1750, executed in oil on canvas. It depicts a cityscape of the Boerenverdriet on the Spui in Amsterdam.
The work later entered the collection of the dealer A. S. Drey before passing to the collector Robert Maij. It is now held by the Rijksmuseum and is on loan to the Amsterdam Museum, with an additional location recorded at Huis ter Heide.
The painting is jointly held by the Rijksmuseum and the Amsterdam Museum, and is on loan from the Rijksmuseum to the Amsterdam Museum. Its dimensions are 40 × 48.5 cm. Former owners include the A. S. Drey dealership and Robert Maij.
Overview
The so-called Boerenverdriet on the Spui, Amsterdam is a small oil painting created by Jan Ekels the Elder around 1750. It depicts a serene urban scene in Amsterdam, showcasing the artist's skill in capturing light and shadow.
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows the Spui canal, with a bridge and a large brick building, likely a church, on the right. People stroll along the bridge and by the water, while small boats float on the calm canal, evoking a sense of peacefulness.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Ekels the Elder (1725–1780) was a Dutch painter of vedute. His pictures are generally of a small size, and are highly finished, with a good effect of light and shade. He was born near Oude Kerk, Amsterdam at…
