Polgar Auktionhaus

82. Weihnachskunstauktion

Oil, wood 20 x 26 cm
M.b.l: Verschuur f.

Wouter Verschuur, who was born as the son of a goldsmith in Amsterdam, showed his talent in his very early years. After his school-years in the workshops of the well-known landscape- and animal painters, Pieter Gerardus van Oss and Cornelis Steffelaer, he was awarded twice by the Felix Meritis Association in Amsterdam, in 1830 and 1832. A year later he was voted among the members of the Royal Academy of Amsterdam. In 1839 he joined Arti et Amicitiae, the contemporary society of the leading painters. Verschuur worked mainly in his native town, Amsterdam, but spent more or less time in the Haag, Doorn, and Brussels and in Haarlem as well.
As a painter as well as a lithographer, he was delighted by the beauty of working horses in rustic locations such as farmyards and stables and was a great follower of the Old Master painter, Philips Wouwerman. That is why he put the scenes of his paintings in such neighborhood. However, he worked while studying nature, he did not follow a realistic depiction.
The subject of the painting, which is being auctioned, is typical in the oeuvre of Verschuur: the horse in the stall with the saddle on its back, in our case, it is a Lipizzaner, usually in the company of other horses, dogs, sometimes even donkeys, are the repeatedly occurring features on his paintings.
The garments, the trumpet, the lash even the boots of its rider can be seen there. In the focus of the picture there is the horse, turning its head towards the viewer, being depicted with utmost anatomical accuracy and particularities, disregarding details of the location or the appearing figures of other horses in the background. Interiors of stalls and other romantic scenes of Verschuur were popular and welcome by the artistic circles as early as the 1830s.. His painting which was exhibited in the World Exhibition of Paris in 1855 was bought by Napoleon and his fame soon spread throughout France. He often cooperated with other artist, especially Cornelis Springerl. Anton Mauve was his most dominating student but it is also worth mentioning his son, Junior Wouter Verschuur, who was unable to catch up with the artistic quality of his father.
Though many of his works are held in public collections and kept to museums, this one is available to any private collector that sees it fit to own such an intricate painting. His work was regularly exhibited between 1828 and 1872 at the Living Artists Exhibitions in Amsterdam, and can be seen in such museums like Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam or in the collection of Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem. Dr Kovács Zoltán
Literatur:
R. de Leeuw e .a.: Meesters van de Romantiek. Nederlandse kunstenaars 1800-1850, Rotterdam - Zwolle 2005, 20, 46, 314, 316.
J. Woldring - W. Lanstra: Hollandse Romantiek. Schilders van het dagalijkse leven in de 19e eeuw, Alkmaar 2001, 109-113.