I love Paris: 1950

Jan den Hengst

(1904-1983)

Jan Korthals

(1916-1972

Jan Rijlaarsdam

(1911-2008)

3 Dutch painters in Paris in the 1950's 

3 x Jan den Hengst, Montmartre, Paris

Three men, three painters, sharing their first name and who knew each other well, were friends even. They painted in Amsterdam. The canals, boats, bridges and busy street and city life. And all three went to Paris. They were great water color painters and great illustrators. Obscured and mostly forgotten now. Post impressionist painters would apply and fit on all three. 

4 x Jan Korthals, Paris 

Looking closely these men must have learned from each other. Stimulating, the  one professionally trained and the other self-taught like Jan den Hengst who ran a flower stall in his native Delft. They shared, choose and sat at the same pictoresque and famous spots in Montmartre under Sacre Coeur and along the river Seine. 

Vincent van Gogh,  view over Paris  from his room at Rue Lepic.

Were Vincent van Gogh had a boarding room in Rue Lepic (above and first picture). Most famous impressionist painters started their fame living in and painting Montmartre . 

3 x Jan Rijlaarsdam

I've just stumbled over some old water color (calender) reproductions and  discovered this wonderful bright, colorful and happy style shared by these three men. Very much the bright pictures and illustrations of my youth.

These men, friends, didn't meet one of my favorite painters and also addicted to Paris artist, but stood in the foot steps of American Impressionist, Frank Meyer Boggs (1855-1926) who decided  not  to leave France and Paris after studying with Jean Leon Gérome (1824-1905). He painted Montmartre and every quay along River Seine in the most Impressionistic way.

Frank Meyers Boggs and his son Frank Will (Boggs) (1900-1950), who like his father painted the Moulin Rouge (above) and their Paris Views will be continued in a future posting in the Linosaurus.
Jean Louis Gérome who initially opposed Impressionism, and needless to say lost, to me is best loved for his Roman Slave Market paintings and this great Pygmaleon and Galathea. And of course no less for the stunningly beautiful model embodying three thousand years of female aesthetics. Just Google: Gerome + Batsheba and you'll have a peek along with King David at his wife taking a bath. I can understand J.L. Gérome didn't need impressionism to say what he had to say.