Lot 19 Dα

The Netherlands had a long tradition of veduta painting, dating back to the Golden Age during the 17th century. In the first half of the 19th century, an entire generation of Romantic artists was able to build on this tradition and - literally - depict the large and small cities of their homeland in a new light. Adrianus Eversen - born in 1818 and thus one year younger than Cornelis Springer - belonged to this generation. His vedutas show the cities in an idealised way and evoke the Golden Age, when the Netherlands achieved immeasurable wealth and the arts flourished.
This idealised, sometimes nostalgic view is also evident in Eversen's view of Bruges and Enkhuizen. The Belfry of Bruges is bathed in a warm evening light, while the characteristic gabled houses with their coloured bricks can be seen in the foreground. Here, as in the view of Enkhuyzen (lot 20), the foreground is dominated by a wide street, which serves as a stage for the figural staffage and at the same time invites the viewer to immerse themselves in the cityscape - and in an old, better time.


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