Boats in a Harbor at Dusk

Together with his brothers Willem and Matthijs, Jacob Maris was one of the most influential and celebrated figures of The Hague School. He was discovered by Bartholomeus van Hove, who arranged for his early training in Antwerp. He later traveled to throughout Europe, most notably France—specifically Barbizon and Paris—where his encounter with the fresh landscapes of such artists as Millet and Corot greatly impacted his own work. He returned to The Hague and began painting in a loose, broad manner. His palette was somber and his light, gleaming. When Jacob finally settled permanently in The Hague, he became most well known for his landscapes, which many compared to those by seventeenth-century artists Jan van Goyen and Jacob van Ruisdael. As the present watercolor demonstrates, though, Maris’s brushwork was much more rigorous than his predecessors’. It was said of him that he painted first and drew afterwards, so vigorous and vital were his broad brushstrokes.