Hendrik Barend Koekkoek (1849 – 1909) - 'Figures strolling through a forest

Hendrik Barend Koekkoek
Amsterdam 1849 – 1909 London
Dutch Painter

'Figures Strolling through a Forest in Winter'

Signature: signed lower right 'H B Koekkoek', c. 1882-1900
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: image size 76,5 x 64 cm, frame size 103 x 89,50 cm

Biography: Hendrik Barend Koekkoek, often signing as Hendrik Barend (H.B.) Koekkoek, in the realm of 19th-century art, emerges as a captivating painter born in Amsterdam on November 23, 1849. A scion of the esteemed Koekkoek family, he gained renown for his landscapes and woodland scenes, following in the artistic footsteps of his father, marine painter Hermanus Koekkoek.

Barend Hendrik Koekkoek’s life unfolds with a certain mystery, his artistic journey shaped by training from his father and, likely, his uncle Marinus Adrianus. In 1878, he tied the knot with Carolina Allardina Cornelia Pierson and ventured into the artistic scenes of Hilversum and Brussels, simultaneously opening an art dealership in Amsterdam.

Around 1882, the call of London beckoned, echoing the path paved by his brother Hermanus Koekkoek the Younger. In England, he painted landscapes near Guildford, akin to his cousin Pieter Hendrik Koekkoek. The latter part of his life remains shrouded in obscurity.

Barend Hendrik Koekkoek’s artistic style, steeped in the romantic tradition of the Koekkoek family, adorned canvases with landscapes, woodlands, and marine scenes. His London sojourn witnessed the creation of winter landscapes with towering trees, showcased in exhibitions across Dutch cities. He breathed his last in London before 1909.

His artistic legacy lives on in institutions like the Paul Tétar van Elven Museum in Delft and the Koekkoek House in Cleves, as well as in private collections in the Netherlands and England. Barend Hendrik Koekkoek’s work, a testament to his mastery, continues to captivate art enthusiasts, its allure undiminished by the passage of time.