Hendrik de Meijer

(Rotterdam circa 1620- after 1689)

Ferry boats on the Maas off Dordrecht

Footnotes

Provenance
The Collection of Colonel Walter Childe Alers Hankey (1839-1921), Beaulieu, Sussex, by 1885 (as Aelbert Cuyp)
The Collection of George Coats, 1st Baron Glentanar (1849-1918) and thence by descent to
The Collection of Thomas Coats, 2nd Baron Glentanar (1894-1971) (as Jan van Goyen) by whom gifted to his daughter
the Hon. Margaret Jean Dagbjǿrt Coats, the Hon. Mrs Bruce (1928-2007), by whom sold
Sale, Christie's, London, 8 April 1987, lot 60
The Collection of Willem Baron van Dedem (1929-2015)
With David Koetser, Zűrich, 1995, where purchased by
Mr and Mrs Anthony Inder Rieden
Collection of a Family Trust

Exhibited
London, Royal Academy, Exhibition of Works of Art of the Old Masters, 1885, no. 107 (as Aelbert Cuyp, A Sultry Morning)
The Hague, Bredius Museum, 10 December 2019 - 1 March 2020

Literature
C. Hofstede de Groot, A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of the Most Eminent Dutch Painters of the Seventeenth Century, London, vol. II, p. 190, no. 669 (1908 edition), p. 200, no. 669 (1909 edition)
H. U. Beck, Künstler um Jan Van Goyen. Maler und Zeichner, Doornspijk, 1991, pp.268-269, cat. no. 746, ill. p. 268
G. de Beer, The Golden Age of Dutch Marine Painting. The Inder Rieden Collection, Leiden, 2019, pp.648-654 cat. no. 40

Very little biographical detail was known about the Rotterdam artist Hendrick de Meijer other than a mention in Gerrit van Spaan's Beschrijvinge der Stad Rotterdam, of 1698, in which he is described as a 'painter of sieges, cavalry and battles'. In his biography on the artist in the Inder Rieden catalogue, however, Jaap van der Veen mentions further details that he has unearthed. The artist is mentioned in an affidavit together with the 4 others in 1688 where the first witness is given as 'Heynderick de Meijer, master painter, 79 years old'. No date is known for his wedding to his wife Maertgen but van der Veen thinks it is highly likely to be 1635. A few other documents are known that record de Meijer's activity as an artist such as the record of an agreement reached in June 1646 with, amongst others, Crijn Hendricksz. Volmarijn regarding the sale of de Meijer's paintings.

Known principally as a painter of battles or of military scenes, de Meijer produced numerous subjects showing the various victories of the Stadholder Frederick Hendrick such as the Departure of Spanish troops from the Breda, 10 October 1637 now in the Rijksmuseum (inv.no. SK-A-1511). He is known to have still been active as late as 1689 as evidenced by his View on the Maas of that year, now in the Historisch Museum, Rotterdam. Van der Veen believes de Meijer most likely died in 1696 when a 'Henderijck de Meijer' is recorded as being buried in Rotterdam on 8 November.

Given that de Meijer only produced a small number of maritime works, when compared with his output in other genres, he very likely looked to other, established marine painters for inspiration. With Dordrecht depicted in the background of the present work, Aelbert Cuyp's The Maas at Dordrecht of circa 1650 (National Gallery of Art, Washington, acc. no. 1940.2.1, fig. 1) shows a very similar composition to the present Ferry boats on the Maas off Dordrecht with its groupings of small boats on calm waters. However, Simon de Vlieger is the painter who most likely served as inspiration for both de Meijer and Cuyp, see for example, his large panel of Shipping before Dordrecht of 1651 and now at the Fitzwilliam, Cambridge (acc.no. 105).