Artwork
The Bierkade and Groenewegje at The Hague seen towards the Spui
The Bierkade and Groenewegje at The Hague seen towards the Spui is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Jan ten Compe. It dates from 1760 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows a topographically precise view of two streets in The Hague, the Bierkade and the Groenewegje, looking toward the Spui canal in the mid-eighteenth century. The composition centers on the canal's edge, where small boats and barges navigate the waterway, while figures on the quayside carry out daily activities such as loading goods and walking. The urban landscape captures the built environment of the period, including modest houses, warehouses, and a drawbridge, reflecting the city's mercantile life and infrastructure.
The rendering of light and shadow across the buildings and water underscores the scene's documentary quality, emphasizing the ordinariness of the setting rather than overt symbolism.
Technique & Style
Created in 1760, this landscape painting by Jan ten Compe is executed in oil paint on a panel support.
Created in 1760, this landscape painting by Jan ten Compe is executed in oil paint on a panel support. The work measures 26.8 cm in height and 38.8 cm in width. As a landscape genre piece, the composition depicts the Bierkade and Groenewegje in The Hague viewed toward the Spui, capturing urban details including figures within the cityscape. The medium and support are consistent with 18th-century Dutch painting practices.
History & Provenance
Jan ten Compe created the landscape painting The Bierkade and Groenewegje at The Hague seen towards the Spui in 1760, executed in oil on panel and measuring 26.8 cm by 38.8 cm. The work has passed through several collections, including the private collection of William I, the Haags Historisch Museum, Rijksmuseum De Gevangenpoort, and the Kunstmuseum Den Haag. It is currently recorded in the collection of the Hermitage Museum. The painting depicts the Bierkade and Groenewegje in The Hague looking toward the Spui.
Overview
Jan ten Compe’s 1760 oil painting, titled The Bierkade and Groenewegje at The Hague seen towards the Spui, offers a measured view of a canal scene in the Dutch capital. The work captures a quiet stretch of water framed by modest architecture, with a few vessels moored along the quay and pedestrians gathered near the edge.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
View of the Merwede off Dordrecht
The Latin school on the Singel, Amsterdam
The Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal with the Flower and Tree Market in Amsterdam
Gezicht op de Houtmarkt te Amsterdam
View of Haarlem from across the Spaarne, near the Eendjespoort
Huis Oudaen, Near Breukelen
The Docking Basin in the Barge Canal in Leidschendam
The Herengracht Bend