The Prinsengracht, Amsterdam
Artist: Isaak Ouwater (Dutch, 1748-1793)
Date: 1782
Dimensions:
H: 17 3/4 in. (45 cm); W: 22 1/2 in. (57 cm)
Medium: Oil on canvas.
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number: 1976.13
Label Text:The townscape became a popular subject for Dutch artists during the 1600s and was a way to show pride in the elegant cities of the powerful Dutch Republic. Though Dutch influence had waned by the 1700s, a sense of pride in the past continued the popularity of townscapes. Influenced by 17th-century painter Jan van der Heyden (see The Garden of the Old Palace, Brussels, Gallery 24), Isaak Ouwater painted carefully observed views of his native Amsterdam and other towns. So detailed you can count every cobblestone of the street and plank of the bridge, this painting shows the area where the major canal the Prinsengracht meets the smaller Spiegelgracht on the right. Anecdotal details such as the chickens wandering the street, dogs squabbling over a bone, and the wealthy, well-dressed couple’s encounter with a family of beggars enliven the scene.
The prominent row of brick houses dominating the composition includes the Apothecary Bouvy and Son, where two gentlemen greet each other. The painting was likely commissioned by Bouvy, in whose family it remained until 1940.
The prominent row of brick houses dominating the composition includes the Apothecary Bouvy and Son, where two gentlemen greet each other. The painting was likely commissioned by Bouvy, in whose family it remained until 1940.
On view
In Collection(s)