Anton Smeerdijk (1885-1965) - Slootje bij Kortenhoef

The painter Anton Smeerdijk showed, as a descendant of a 's-Graveland laundry-family, an early artistic inclination. He was admitted to the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam, where he studied, as many others did, under Professors Allebé, Dake, and Van de Waay.

His fellow students were the later 'moderns' Jan Sluyters and Leo Gestel.

His early work shows that he was deeply influenced by the Hague School. Well known is his work: "Winter in Kortenhoef", clearly inspired by the work of Floris Vester and Victor Bauffe. Although Smeerdijk could have learned about Luminism, the painting of light, at exhibitions in Amsterdam as early as 1910, his eyes did not truly open to the modern French-oriented art until 1913. During his first study trip to France, to Paris and along the Loire, he saw for the first time the overwhelming light himself and incorporated it into a series of radiant studies.

Through his many travels later in France and Italy he was influenced by the clear light and his paintings became more colorful: the sky turned turquoise, the houses rose-colored, and the shadow areas blue-violet.

That is also visible in the village views he created back home in Kortenhoef, from his own surroundings.

The attached paintings are examples of this:

- Dorpsgezicht op Kortenhoef

- Slootje bij Kortenhoef

- Dorp Kortenhoef (mogelijk ook van Smeerdijk)

During his life Smeerdijk exhibited all over the world: from Barcelona to Indonesia. In Kortenhoef he exhibited in his own studio “de Gaard” and he remained productive for a long time until he died in 1965.