Jan Willem van Borselen

The road to Polsbroekerdam, 1860, Haarlem, Teylers Museum

Jan Willem van Borselen (born September 20, 1825 in Gouda , † September 24, 1892 in The Hague ) was a Dutch painter. Through his landscape paintings with the elements blowing reeds, wind-moving willow trees and clouds, he became known throughout his lifetime. He is considered to be the representative of the "second bloom" of the Hague School .

Life

He grew up with his parents and two younger sisters on the Gouwe in Gouda. He received painting lessons from his father, Pieter van Borselen (1802–1873), who was a painter and teacher in the style of Dutch Romanticism . His father regularly took part in exhibitions from 1831 to 1871. At the age of 13, JW van Borselen sold his first landscape painting in an exhibition in Groningen . From this point in time until his death he exhibited regularly at exhibitions of contemporary painters in Amsterdam , The Hague and Rotterdam - initially in the tradition of Dutch Romanticism, later in the style of the Impressionists .

In 1855 Jan Willem moved to The Hague. On the one hand the landscape, on the other hand also because of the wealthy public. Artists met in the Pulchri Studio artists' association . The purpose of the association was, in addition to political issues and spending time together, to promote the sales of the members' pictures. JW van Borselen held various administrative functions at Pulchri throughout his life (librarian, second secretary and treasurer)

In The Hague he did an apprenticeship with the painter Andreas Schelfhout . There he familiarized himself with the composition of landscape painting in the style of his teacher. Schelfhout as a respected painter later established social contacts with the Dutch royal family for JW van Borselen.

From 1857 onwards the commercial and artistically appreciative success came with the motifs 'willows, clouds and waving reeds'. Together with friends he painted in the area around Gouda and Schoonhoven. He made oil paintings measuring 12 × 18 cm, which he later worked out in large formats in his studio. In the 1970s he advocated the recognition of charcoal and watercolor as a separate direction.

In 1872 he became a member of the artists' association Societé belge des Aquaristes . This enabled him to take part in exhibitions in Vienna , Paris and Philadelphia . In 1873 he received a gold medal at the World Exhibition in Vienna, and in 1876 a medal at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia.

Through the contact of his teacher Schelfhout with King Wilhelm III. (1817–1890) JW van Borselen received orders from the royal family. He was honored by the Dutch royal family for his work: Knight of the Order of the Oak Crown in 1869 and officer in the same order in 1881.

literature

• Winds willow. Jan Willem van Borselen 1825-1892. Signs for the Hollandse polderlandschap. De Doelenpers, Alkmaar 2002, ISBN 90-70655-33-0 .

Web links

• Dates and works in the Lexicon Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie