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Who Is Jan Toorop?
Alongside Vincent van Gogh, Piet Mondrian, and Kees van Dongen, Jan Toorop is one of only a few Dutch artists from the turn of the 20th century to enjoy international fame and recognition. Born on the island of Java, which at the time was a Dutch colony, he came to Europe in 1869 to study in Leiden, La Haye and Delft. In 1880 he went on to take classes at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Amsterdam.
Christie’s
Toorop Adopts New Techniques
His style soon changed again, taking on a symbolist aspect. In 1890 he went to live in the fishing village of Katwijk aan Zee. It was there that he painted the impressive Vloed (The Tide) early in 1891. This painting depicts a fisherman pulling his boat through a rough sea towards the shore in a true confrontation between man and nature. The undulating surface of the water, the waves and the foam are painted with such virtuosity, giving the rich pictorial surface an aspect reminiscent of some Art Nouveau motifs. The influence of both Paul Gauguin (a guest of Les XX in 1889 and 1891) and Japanese Ukiyo-e artists and their audacious framing (fig. 2) is strikingly apparent. These are further indications that Toorop was taking on board the theories of the artists around him and repeatedly calling his own work into question.
Christie’s
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Why Is “Vloed” Unique?
Vloed is unique within Toorop’s oeuvre; this 1891 painting bears witness to the artist’s development during that year. Although before 1891 his work had progressed from naturalistic treatment to the introduction of a hint of pointillism, Toorop breaks free of these movements in this exceptionally unique work before exploring Art Nouveau and the symbolism that would characterise his work from late 1891 onwards.
Christie’s
Click For Enlarged Detail
Best viewed At Sunnyside
Detail
- Vloed (1891)
- Jan Toorop
- signed (lower left); signed, numbered, titled and located ‘Vloed N.11 Jan Toorop Katwijk aan Zee’ (on a label on the reverse)
- oil on canvas
- 26 ½ x 29 7/8 in.
- Painted in Katwijk aan Zee in 1891
- Source: Christie’s
- Link: https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/paintings/johannes-theodorus-toorop-vloed-6132082-details.aspx?from=searchresults&intObjectID=6132082&sid=ca608902-8bea-4120-8cfe-5bbca67f0f99unny
Thanks for Visiting 🙂
~Sunnyside
At Sunnyside - Where Truth and Beauty Meet 
First I recall seeing of Toorop’s work. He does indeed remind me of Van Gogh, who is one of my favorite painters.
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Agree! Thanks for visiting 🙂
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A powerful and moving piece.
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I agree, Anna. This one almost mesmerizes me….and I come back to it often.
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I like his later work very much, for example “o Grave, where is thy Victory?”
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This is the first (only) of his works I have looked at so far. Thanks for pointing me toward another.
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WOW! Found it here: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/RP-T-1960-243 LOVE IT. 🙂
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In real it’s even more beautiful.
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Going to Amsterdam is on my bucket list. 🙂
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