About the original work
Hunebeds are Neolithic burial chambers. There are a total of 52 of these buildings in Drenthe. The stones are so large that people used to think that they were built by giants, ‘huynen’.
Willem Roelofs knows how to portray this building solemnly. The large stones rest on the flat landscape under a threatening cloudy sky, while a shepherd sits on the dolmen. His sheep graze on the heath. Although the dolmen seems monumental compared to the shepherd and his sheep, it is actually not that big at all. This is dolmen D6 near Tynaarlo, one of the smallest dolmens in Drenthe.
The larger dolmens are tourist attractions, but hardly anyone comes here. That makes D6 extra attractive for romantic artists such as Willem Roelofs. Perhaps Roelofs chooses the smallest of the dolmens because of his second specialization: entomology, the study of insects. He studies weevils. He identifies this for the Natural History Museum in Leiden.
His love for painting landscapes continues. He falls under the spell of the Barbizon School and transfers it to the Hague School. In addition to painting himself, he also teaches other aspiring painters. His most famous student is Hendrik Willem Mesdag.
About the artist
Willem Roelofs (Amsterdam, March 10, 1822 – Berchem, May 12, 1897) was a Dutch painter, watercolorist, etcher and lithographer; the landscape was his subject.
Life and work
In addition to training at the Hague Academy from 1839 to 1840, Roelofs was also a student of Hendrikus van de Sande Bakhuyzen.
Roelofs was one of the forerunners of innovation in Dutch painting; from the romantic classicism of the early 19th century he developed into the impressionism of the Hague School. He was not only a painter, but also drew and made watercolours, etchings and lithographs.
Additional information
This painting by Willem Roelofs is reproduced as a Giclée using an advanced 12-color printer that sprays the pigment inks onto the canvas or paper, layer by layer. Due to this large color spectrum and the high resolution, the original is very closely approximated. The pigment inks used are UV-resistant, so no discoloration can occur. The colors always remain beautiful and that is why we give an unlimited warranty! You can order Giclées framed or unframed.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.