Artwork

The Nieuwe Haarlemse Sluis on the Singel, Known as ‘Souvenir d’Amsterdam’

The Nieuwe Haarlemse Sluis on the Singel, Known as ‘Souvenir d’Amsterdam’ is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Matthijs Maris. It dates from 1871 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Technique & Style

The composition is organized along a low horizon, directing attention to the central structure and its reflections in the still canal surface.

The work is painted in oil on canvas, using a restrained palette of muted greens, browns, and grays to depict the sluice gate and surrounding canal architecture.

Maris’s handling emphasizes quiet, diffused light and soft transitions, with delicate brushwork that suggests texture in brickwork and water without pronounced impasto. The composition is organized along a low horizon, directing attention to the central structure and its reflections in the still canal surface.

The painting’s modest dimensions (35 × 46.5 cm) and its subdued tonality align with the artist’s atmospheric approach to urban landscape.

History & Provenance

The Nieuwe Haarlemse Sluis on the Singel, known as ‘Souvenir d’Amsterdam’, was painted in 1871 by Matthijs Maris in oil on canvas. The work measures 46.5 cm high by 35 cm wide and portrays a house along the Singel canal, fitting the cityscape genre. After its completion the painting entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it remains today. No further details about its earlier ownership, commission, or exhibition history are recorded in the available sources.

Overview

Matthijs Maris painted The Nieuwe Haarlemse Sluis on the Singel, Known as ‘Souvenir d’Amsterdam’ in 1871. Executed in oil, the work presents a quiet urban scene centered on a partially constructed wooden lock along Amsterdam’s Singel canal. The composition is held by the Rijksmuseum, where it forms part of the museum’s Dutch 19th‑century holdings.

Subject & Meaning

The canvas captures a half‑built wooden structure spanning the canal, its open centre exposing the water below. Two figures, one in dark clothing, the other in lighter garb, stand nearby, seemingly observing the construction. The muted browns and grays of the building contrast with faint blue tones in distant buildings, suggesting a moment of everyday labor within the city’s landscape.

Context

The work reflects Amsterdam’s ongoing infrastructural development in the late 19th century, when new locks and canals were reshaping the city’s commerce and daily life. By focusing on a specific construction site, Maris documents a transient moment of modernization, aligning with contemporary interests in portraying the ordinary activities that underpinned urban growth.