Wouter van Troostwijk (1782-1810)Fewer than ten paintings have been identified as by the hand of the short-lived painter and designer Wouter van Troostwijk; four of these are in the Rijksmuseum. Apart from a few townscapes, the Amsterdam artist portrayed mainly landscapes. He was inspired by famous seventeenth-century landscape painters such as Jacob van Ruisdael and Paulus Potter, but above all by nature itself. His attention to the mood and atmosphere of a landscape puts him far ahead of his time. Van Troostwijk learnt the art of painting from various contemporaries, but never became a full-time professional. His actual job was caretaker at the Amsterdam town hall. |
