12 - Attributed to ANDREAS SCHELFHOUT (The Hague, 1787–1870).

Attributed to ANDREAS SCHELFHOUT (The Hague, 1787–1870). “Landscape.” Oil on panel. It has informational labels on the back. Measurements: 74.5 x 74.5 cm; 95 x 95 cm (frame). A Romantic-style landscape featuring a large tree with a twisted trunk and lush foliage, which dominates the foreground and frames a rural building in the background. In the lower part of the painting, a group of goats adds a bucolic and lively element to the scene. The luminous sky, the green and ochre hues of the vegetation, and the play of light all contribute to creating a serene and evocative atmosphere, characteristic of 19th-century Romantic landscape painting. The work stands out for its rich depiction of the vegetation, the contrast between the tree masses and the open sky, and the integration of architecture and animals into a natural setting—similar to the compositions of Andreas Schelfhout, one of the leading 19th-century Dutch Romantic landscape painters. Born in The Hague, he began working in the family business of decorative painting before training as an artist under Joannes Breckenheimer. In 1815, he established his own studio and soon achieved notable recognition, both in the Netherlands and abroad. Although he was particularly noted for his winter landscapes featuring frozen canals and skaters, he also painted summer scenes, wooded landscapes, and compositions with animals. His mastery of light, composition, and color, combined with his plein air studies, exerted a decisive influence on several generations of painters, including Johan Barthold Jongkind and Charles Leickert. Considered a forerunner of the Hague School, he died in 1870.