Riviergezicht met zeilschepen en een roeiboot met zeven personen

About this artwork

collector's mark: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

This delicate etching by Ernst Willem Jan Bagelaar captures a tranquil Dutch river scene, featuring sailing ships gliding along the water alongside a rowboat carrying seven figures. Created between 1798 and 1817, the small-scale print (just 104 by 150 millimeters) invites close viewing, revealing the artist’s careful attention to the interplay of masts, rippling water, and distant horizons that evoke everyday life along the Netherlands’ waterways. Etching was a favored medium among Dutch artists for its ability to render fine detail and atmospheric effects with remarkable precision. Bagelaar’s work continues this tradition, using fine lines and subtle tonal contrasts to suggest both movement and calm. The presence of the collector’s mark Lugt 2228 further hints at the print’s journey through private collections, underscoring its enduring appeal to connoisseurs of Dutch graphic art. Such river views reflect the Netherlands’ deep cultural connection to its maritime landscape, blending observation with quiet poetry. Though modest in size, the etching offers a window into early nineteenth-century Dutch printmaking and the timeless fascination with life on the water.

About the Artist

Ernst Willem Jan Bagelaar · 1775–1837

Ernst Willem Jan Bagelaar (1775–1837) was a Dutch military officer and artist whose dual career exemplified the accomplished amateur tradition in European art. Born on September 16, 1775, in Eindhoven, Bagelaar first entered military service, eventually reaching the rank of colonel (overste), but early developed a strong interest in the fine arts. Though largely self-taught in etching, he acquired...