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A VIEW OF THE WESTERSTRAAT IN ENKHUIZEN IN SUMMER

99 by 77,5 cm.

signed and dated 1873 l.r.

oil on panel

In 1873 Cornelis Springer visited Enkhuizen several times. This old town on the shores of the Zuiderzee proved endlessly fascinating to him, as his many drawings and paintings done in that year testify.

The current painting (of which there is an almost identical drawing), The orphanage and the Westerstraat in Enkhuizen in summer, is a wonderful example of his mature style. The Westerstraat was the main road in the heart of the city, with many important municipal buildings. The Orphanage, in all its Renaissance splendour, forms the focal point of this street scene, bathing in sunlight. It is flanked on the right by the elegant structure of the Westfrisian Mint. In the background the Westerkerk, the most famous church in Enkhuizen, can be discerned. Springer's trademark diagonal composition and low perspective, so that the buildings seem even more imposing, form a fascinating combination with the perfectly rendered architectural details and lively staffage. It has been suggested that the man in the lower right foreground, seen from the back wearing a red cape over his shoulder, depicts the painter himself.

An interesting detail is the tile-tableau on the gable of the house in the left foreground. The accuracy of the painter was such that even a small missing tile is depicted. This tableau depicts the sea battle on the Zuiderzee near the island of Pampus on 11 October 1573. The count of Bossu, the Commander-in-Chief of the Spanish-Dutch naval fleet, sailed out with his flagship De Inquisitie, leading his troops into a bloody battle with the Dutch Water-Beggars. After six days of fighting before the shore of Hoorn the Water-Beggars finally entered De Inquisitie. They captured Bossu and won back the domination of the Zuiderzee, an essential trade-route. This was an important moment in the Eighty Years War and the Spanish occupation of Holland. In the 17^th century this battle was commemorated with a tile-tableau stretching the gables of three townhouses in Hoorn, the so-called "Houses of Bossu". It is very likely that the tableau on the edifice here in the left foreground dates from the same period. Given the year that this painting was completed, it is probably not a coincidence that it celebrates the 300^th anniversary of the heroic sea-battle.

The incredibly detailed depiction of the architecture, the genre-like scenes and the masterful play of light make this work a great example of Springer's unique talent. The fact that the artist sold this painting upon completion in 1873 for 4000 Dutch florins, making it one of the most expensive works ever sold during his career, stresses the importance of this work.

If we compare the painting to the actual situation we see that today many buildings have disappeared (see illustration). The beautiful Orphanage is still there, but was taken down piece by piece and erected again about 50 metres to the back (see illustration). This was in 1904. The Westfrisian mint is no longer there, like many other buildings. Only one of the two small gabled houses on the far left side survived. The church in the back is still there in its original glory, but the houses on the right side no longer exist. In that sense this painting is a wonderful historical document of Enkhuizen as it must have been in the 1870's.

PROVENANCE

Bought directly from the artist 20 August 1873 by Johann Rudolf Geigy Merian, Basel for Dfl. 4000,-
Collection J.B. Krabbendam, Amsterdam
Private Collection, The Netherlands

LITERATURE

W. Laanstra, H.C. de Bruijn, Dr J.H.A. Ringeling, Cornelis Springer (1817-1819), Utrecht 1984, p. 181, no.73-9, illustrated

NOTE

A handwritten label with the artist's seals on the reverse reads: Le soussigné déclare que ce tableau représentant La Maison des Orphelins dans la rue de l'ouest (westerstraat) à Enkhuyzen (Province de la Hollande Septentrionale Royaume des Pays-Bas) est peint par lui. Amsterdam 31 7bre 1873. C. Springer