Paul Constantin Gabriël (1828–1903) - Paysage de Polder aux Moulins et à la Cheminée d’Usine

Presentation and Provenance:

Superb oil on canvas by Paul Joseph Constantin Gabriël (1828–1903), a leading figure of the Hague School. Faithfully passed down through inheritance, this work has remained in the same family collection for several generations. It is presented in its sumptuous period frame bearing its « Gabriël » nameplate.

Composition and Atmosphere:

The painting bears witness to the artist’s virtuosity in capturing Dutch light and reflections on water. In the foreground, a winding waterway crosses a bucolic landscape and leads the eye toward a majestic main windmill, beautifully highlighted at the center of the composition and flanked by other, more distant mills. Here, Gabriël demonstrates his full technical mastery in conveying the traditional beauty and serenity of the polder countryside.
The photos show the painting in two different natural lighting conditions: one in indirect sunlight, the other in direct sunlight.

Historical Rarity (The Industrial Transition):

Beyond the landscape’s splendid windmills, the work’s great distinctive feature lies on its horizon: in the background, a smoking factory chimney discreetly appears in the landscape. This subtle visual juxtaposition of the centuries-old heritage of the windmills and the rise of industrial modernity is a captivating detail and a very rare one for the period. While most of his contemporaries idealized the countryside by deliberately omitting signs of modernity, Gabriël incorporates here, with great realism, evidence of a Holland undergoing technological change.

Reverse Details and Traceability:

The back of the painting bears important signs of authenticity and period:
. A complete historic label from the prestigious Charles Manteau firm, wood gilder, framer & glass merchant, Rue Verte No. 67, near the Gare du Nord in Brussels. This celebrated framing house also served as an official supplier to the Belgian Royal Court.
. A handwritten period inscription in pencil on the stretcher, reading « M. Gabriel » followed by « 326 Rue Rogier ». This address, in the immediate vicinity of the framer’s workshop in Brussels, provides excellent historical and local traceability for the work.

Technical Details & Condition:

Technique: oil on canvas

Support: Original wooden stretcher with keys

Frame: Period gilded wood and stucco frame by the Charles Manteau firm included

Canvas dimensions (unframed): 28 x 45 cm

Overall dimensions (framed): 60 x 77 cm, 11 cm deep

Canvas condition: Very well-preserved overall; the canvas is sound

Frame condition: The frame shows signs of age and old damage. Following a past fall (with no break to the structure), the frame underwent artisanal restoration, with spots of glue and a few localized touch-ups to the gold paint. It remains solid and retains a very strong visual impact, as well as a superb aged patina.

An exceptional investment opportunity for collectors of 19th-century Dutch and European paintings seeking an authentic, poetic work with a captivating historical distinction.