Willem Roelofs (1822-1897)

Willem Roelofs is considered one of the most important landscape painters of The Hague School movement and a predecessor of en plein air painting in Holland. His quest for a sincere study of nature was certainly enhanced bij Roelofs deep admiration for the Barbizon School. In Brussels, where he lived from 1847 until 1887, he was introduced to the work of these French masters, inciting him to make several trips to the woods of Fontainebleau in the early 50s which left a clear imprint on his art. Various talented students such as Paul Gabriël (1828-1903), Alexander Mollinger (1836-1867) and Hendrik Willem Mesdag (1831-1915) came to Brussels to be taught by Roelofs. Mesdag labelled his teacher the first and foremost renewer of Dutch landscape painting. In 1848 Roelofs' work was exhibited for the first time at the Exposition Generale in Brussels, the Belgian equivalent of the annual Dutch exhibitions for Levende Meesters, which showed works by contemporary artists. The exhibition was a great success for Roelofs, evidenced by the fact that the King of Belgium purchased one of his landscapes. Following this success many commissions soon followed.