Everhardus Koster

LOT 48 EVERHARDUS KOSTER DUTCH, 1817 - 1892 SHIPPING ON A RIVER 2,000—3,000 EUR MEASUREMENTS 30 by 46 cm. DESCRIPTION signed l.r.; signed Kruseman l.l. watercolour CATALOGUE NOTE The signature of Kruseman is most probably Jan Theodoor Kruseman (1835-1895). Guided by Louis Meijer, he specialised in marine paintings and beach scenes.

EVERHARDUS KOSTER (1817-1892) - SHIPS ON THE RIVER IJ, AMSTERDAM -
Mis: 67 by 98 cm.
signed l.r. oil on canvas

CATALOGUE NOTE
Everhardus Koster studied at the Academy of Fine Art in The Hague, under the tutelage of B.J. van Hove. He travelled extensively in Germany and England, refining his technique to paint polished sea- and riverscapes. In 1848 he returned to live in Amsterdam, where he became a member of the Royal Academy. The current lot, painted in the Dutch capital, is without a doubt one of his masterpieces. The bustling harbour with its tall ships is depicted in all its Romantic splendour.

signed l.l. oil on panel

PROVENANCE
Kunsthandel P.A. Scheen, The Hague, 1974 LITERATURE AND REFERENCES P.A. Scheen, Lexicon Nederlandse Beeldende Kunstenaars 1750-1880, The Hague 1981, ill.no. 363

CATALOGUE NOTE
Koster was one of the students of Bart van Hove, who was a teacher at the Hague drawing academy. Koster belongs to the generation of Wijnand Nuyen, Antonie Waldorp and the young Bosboom. In his early years, his works joined in with the Dutch landscape tradition. He painted townscapes with rivers and ships with a great deal of attention for detail. Later on, his style of painting became less graphic, yet one cannot say he joined the style of the Hague School. Koster made study trips to Germany and England. In 1858, he was appointed director of the Pavilion Welgelegen in Haarlem, the former residence of the banker Hope, where the Dutch state had housed its collection of contemporary art. The pieces acquired at the bi- or tri-annually held Tentoonstellingen van Levende Meesters ended up here. The purchasing policy and the way of preservation were far from perfect as was shown in Victor de Stuers’ pamphlet Holland op zijn smalst. Koster held this position until 1878. A few years later, the entire collection was housed in the newly built Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Koster moved to The Hague. He died in Dordrecht on 8 January 1892. Koster specialised in sea and riverscapes. He executed his pieces in oil paint, in aquarelle and in lithography. His work is true to the tradition of Dutch Romanticism for the skilled craftsmanship is more striking than the spirited inspiration. His work is well represented in its many versions in Dutch museological collections.

Everhardus Koster (Dutch, 1817-1892) A regatta on the IJ, Amsterdam signed 'E.Koster.ft.' (lower left) oil on panel 41.5 x 62.5 cm. Special Notice Christie's charges a Buyer's premium calculated at 23.205% of the hammer price for each lot with a value up to €110,000. If the hammer price of a lot exceeds €110,000 then the premium for the lot is calculated at 23.205% of the first €110,000 plus 11.9% of any amount in excess of €110,000. Buyer's Premium is calculated on this basis for each lot individually. Lot Notes The present lot was probably executed between 1846-1847, since it depicts the grand opening of the Royal Netherlands Yachts Club in Amsterdam on the 10th of September 1846. Koster was present at the event and put his impressions on paper, thus carefully relaying the scene from different angles. A watercolour (see illustration; collection Scheepvaartmuseum, Amsterdam) depicting the celebration from the opposite side as the present lot best illustrates this. The regatta inspired many artists and examples of this event can be found in the oeuvre of among others Charles Rochussen (see archives RKD, The Hague).

Everhardus Koster (Dutch, 1817-1892) The arrival of a V.O.C. ship in an African harbour signed 'E. Koster. ft.' (lower left) oil on canvas, octagonal 72 x 57 cm. Please note that the title should read 'The arrival of a V.O.C. ship on the coast of New Zeeland' Lot Notes It has been suggested that the ships captain is Abel Tasman and that this is his ship before the Tasmanian coast. The depicting painting has been used as an engraving made by J.H. Rennefeld