Willem Hendrik van der Nat (1864–1929) - Schapen op de wal

This fresh, light watercolor is a good example of Willem van der Nat’s talent for capturing Dutch light on paper. The grass tilts almost toward blue, and he suggests the sheep with a few loose splotches, enough to convey precisely the essence of a flock. The grey sky contains subtle color accents, making it a convincing and lively cloudscape.

Dimensions: 40 cm x 60 cm
Dimensions with frame: 51 cm x 70 cm
The work is signed bottom left
The work is in a neat frame

Willem Hendrik van der Nat (Leiden, 1864–1929) was a versatile artist: painter, draftsman, watercolorist, sculptor, etcher, illustrator and lithographer. He received his first drawing lessons at a young age and later studied in The Hague and Leiden, where he befriended artist Floris Verster and art critic H.P. Bremmer.

Initially Van der Nat worked as an illustrator and lithographer, but around 1900 he devoted himself entirely to painting. His style evolved from the influence of the Hague School toward a more expressive, colorful approach, partly inspired by van Gogh and Millet. He gained recognition with his paintings of sheep and goats, often made during his stays in Drenthe, but he also painted still lifes, landscapes and Spanish scenes.

Van der Nat was co-founder of the Leiden artists’ association De Kunst om De Kunst and is regarded as part of the core of the so-called Leiden Impressionists—a group of painters distinguished by loose brushwork and vibrant color. They painted in and around the city of Leiden. The movement is related to the Hague School. A biography has been written by Willem L. Baars. (not included with purchase). His work is represented in the collections of several museums, such as the Stedelijk Museum De Lakenhal in Leiden and the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterloo.