Johannes Christiaan Karel Klinkenberg 1852-1924

Sale Leeuwarden (Gratema), 29 November 1904, lot 33
Sale Amsterdam (Roos), Mr. R.G. Graadt van Roggen a.o., 25-26 February 1908, lot 87
Sale Amsterdam (Mak van Waay), 24 May 1966, lot 280
Kunsthandel P.A. Scheen, The Hague, 1967
Sale Amsterdam (Sotheby's), 17 april 2000, lot 319
Acquired at the above by the present owner

Haarlem, Teylers Museum, (on loan)
The Hague, Verwegen en Kok, s.a.
Hoorn, Westfries Museum, J.C.K. Klinkenberg 1852-1924. De meester van het zonnige stadsgezicht, 29 March - 7 May 2000

P.A. Scheen, Lexicon der Nederlandse Beeldende Kunstenaars 1750-1950, The Hague 1969, no. 308 (illustrated in colour)
C. Stolwijk, Uit de Schilderswereld. Nederlandse kunstschilders in de tweede helft van de negentiende eeuw, Leiden 1998, p. 248, illustration 75
Willem Laanstra, Johannes Christiaan Karel Klinkenberg 1852-1924. De meester van het zonnige stadsgezicht, Laren 2000, no. 0/82-1 (illustrated in colour)

Original canvas. A few very minor old retouches along the upper edge due to frame damage. Otherwise in very fine condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This exceptional painting depicts a busy market scene in The Hague, the artist's town of birth. It is by far the most ambitious picture Klinkenberg ever painted. Besides the unusually large size,  impressive in itself, the painting displays a liveliness and well-balanced play of light which remains unsurpassed in the oeuvre of the artist. Whereas the human figure mostly serves as mere staffage in Klinkenberg's town views, here it has moved to the centre of the interest, showing Scheveningen women buying flowers on the foreground and a lively, populated market scene in the back of the picture.

Klinkenberg, who was born in 1852, received his initial training from the reputed marine painter Louis Meijer. In 1865 he became the pupil of Christoffel Bisschop, a genre painter who influenced him heavily in the use of bright effects and a heavy, slab-like application of the paint. Starting out as a painter of historical subjects, Kllinkenberg soon shifted his attention to townscapes,  which became his specialisation from the mid-1870's onwards. Architectural aspects are always very prominent in Klinkenberg's paintings, depicting Dutch towns with a fine eye for historical detail. He aimed at catching the fascinating play of sun and shadow, bathing his towns in a bright light. 'The strong, brilliant sunlight on the Dutch houses with their typical white sandstone and red bricks, the trees and the streets, the reflections in the water of the canals became a theme on which Klinkenberg focussed throughout his career', thus Johan Gram writes in his famous Schilderboek (1898). For this reason, Gram called Klinkenberg the 'Dutch Canaletto'.