VAN DEN BERG, SIMON (Dutch, 1812-1891) "Grazing Cows." Signed, Lower Right. Oil on wood panel, 7.5" x 9.75" (sight); 11" x 13" (framed). Price Category: C

Simon van den Berg's fine cattle paintings may be found in some of the most prestigious museums in the Netherlands. Known also as a printmaker and museum director, van den Berg was born in Overschie in 1812 and died in Arnhem in 1891. He was from a wealthy farming family and was not allowed to train as an artist until he was about 20 years old. Initially he was taught by a carriage painter. Later he trained at the Rotterdam Teeken Akadamie and in the studio of the noted painter Pieter Gerardus van Os, where he became especially skilled at depicting animals. Subsequently, he worked in Overschie (1837), Velkin (1838), The Hague (1839), and Amsterdam (1840-1842), where he became friendly with the landscape painter Christiaan Immerzeel (1808-1886), whose sister he married. After this he worked in Haarlem (1843-1850), The Hague (from 1854), and finally, after 1889, in Arnhem. Van den Berg played a central role in the cultural life of The Hague, where he lived from 1854. In 1856 he became a member of The Hague Etching Club, and in 1880 he became Director of the Mauritshuis Museum, after having served as assistant director for five years. With his retirement in 1889, the tradition of employing an artist as keeper of a royal collection, which dated back to the 16th century, was ended. He was honored as a painter during his lifetime, obtaining a gold medal in 1838 from the Felix Meritis Society. In 1839 he as made a member of the Royal Academy in Amsterdam. Typical of his work are "Summer Morning," (Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum), "Summer Afternoon" (Haarlem, Teylers Museum), and "Cattle Near a Farm" (The Hague, Gemeentemuseum). "Grazing Cows" is a fine example of van den Berg's style and bears a strong resemblance to his "Summer Morning" (Rijksmuseum) with respect to figures, setting, and composition. Here the low horizon, typical of Holland's flat topography, is subtly interrupted by a tower in the hazy distance, topped by gentle, billowing clouds and a pale blue sky. The tower anchors a diagonal composed of marsh water extending to the foreground at right, while the central figure of the cow with a white patch of sunlight on its flank leads the eye on a crossing diagonal, lending interest and balance to the composition. The light in the painting is magical, falling softly on the cattle's backs. The animals stand naturally (one reposes on the ground) and are rendered with precise verisimilitude. The effect is one of tranquility, reminiscent of Whitman's lines: I think I could turn and live with animals, They are so placid and self-contained, I stand and look at them long and long. Provenance: Jackson's International Auctions, "Important European and American Art," Dec. 4th & 5th, 2007. Museums: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam Museum Fodor, Amsterdam Mauritshaus, The Hague Gemeentmuseum, The Hague Teyler Museum, Haarlem Museum Boymann-von Beuningen, Rotterdam References: E. Benezit, Dictionary of Artists, Vo. 2 (Paris, 2006). J. Immerzeel, Jr., De Levens en Werken den Hollandsche en Vlaamsche Kunstschilders (Amsterdam, 1974; reprint of the 1855 edition). K.G. Sauer, Allegemeines Kunstler-Lexikon, Band 9 (Munchen, 1994). Peter A. Scheen, Nederlandse Beeldende Kunstenaars 1750-1950 (Gravenhage, 1969). Pieter J.J. Van Thiel, director, All the Paintings in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam: A Completely Illustrated Catalogue (Amsterdam, n.d.) Thieme & Becker, Allegemeins Lexikon Der Bildensden Kunstler (Leipzig, nd). Jane Turner, ed. The Grove Dictionary of Artists , Vol. 3 (Oxford University Press, 1999). Christopher Wright, Paintings in Dutch Museums (Totowa, N.J., 1980).

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