Charles Dankmeijer (1861-1923) - Landschap met boederijen

This oil painting by Charles Dankmeijer (1861–1923) shows a rural scene with farms, surrounded by dense groves. The composition is governed on the right by a few tall, darkly painted tree trunks and a heavy canopy of leaves. To the left, the landscape opens up to a group of farms with warm red-orange roofs, sharply contrasting against the bright blue-gray sky. A small figure in blue and red forms a lively color accent among the trees and enhances the sense of depth.

Dankmeijer built the landscape with a loose, impasto technique. Especially in the foliage, the greenery, and the façades, individual brushstrokes remain clearly visible. Dark olive and dark green areas alternate with ocher, red, and brighter greens. The foreground is broad and sketchily treated, while the illuminated houses and open sky guide the eye toward the central plan. The work is signed bottom right with ‘Ch. Dankmeijer’.

Oil on canvas. Dimensions of the work: about 45 × 55 cm; with frame about 74 × 84 cm.

Artist’s biography
Charles Dankmeijer (Carel Bernardus Dankmeijer, 1861–1923) was a Dutch painter, draftsman, watercolorist, and etcher. He began his early drawing studies at Felix Meritis in Amsterdam and then studied at the Antwerp Academy under Charles Verlat. From 1882 he continued his education at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam, where, among others, August Allebé was one of his teachers. In 1883 Dankmeijer also enrolled in the painting competition for the Prix de Rome. After his time at the academy, he worked in places including Laren, Renkum, Oosterbeek, Leiden, and The Hague. His oeuvre includes landscapes, river scenes, urban and village views, figure studies, still lifes, and seascapes. A hallmark of many of his landscapes is a free, painterly brushwork in which atmospheric color handling and strong contrasts between light and dark vegetation play an important role.