'Koek-en-zopie' on the ice (pen drawing) 1775

Dirk Langendijk

PaperPencil
38.70 ⨯ 51.40 cm
€ 4.950

Inter-Antiquariaat Mefferdt & De Jonge

• About the artwork
  'Koek-en-zopie' on the ice. Pen drawing with washes of East Indian ink and grey ink, executed around 1775 by Dirk Langendijk. Signed lower left “D. Langendijk”. Size (paper): 38.7 × 51.4 cm. Dirk Langendijk (1748–1805) was primarily drawn to military and historical subjects, though in his early years he also produced landscapes. To his teacher Dirk Anthonie Bisschop he owed “that pure and clear manner of washing with East Indian ink, which lends such great ornament to his drawings.” We see a lively winter scene on the ice. This is not an idyllic, tranquil winter landscape, but a crowded and socially layered ice scene centred on a koek-en-zopie tent. A flag flutters above the improvised stall, and a wreath is hung as well—the sign that brandy is being served. Across the composition a wide range of activities unfolds. Skaters glide past in various poses: some graceful, others less accomplished. In the foreground a man lies stretched out on the ice, his hat beside him—perhaps he has had a drink. Slightly farther on stands a horse-drawn sleigh; other figures look on, smoke their pipes, or converse with one another. A light haze softens the atmosphere, causing the background to dissolve gradually and directing attention to the everyday conviviality around the tent in the foreground. Langendijk’s drawings are generally worked out in great detail: each small figure, whether animal or human, can be considered independently. The different emotions of the people can sometimes be read in their faces. The clothing, too, with its particular details, is in general rendered with great care and precision. Price: Euro 4.950,- (incl. frame)
• About the artist

  Dirk Langendijk (Rotterdam, 8 March 1748 – 15 December 1805), often written as Langendyk in his day, was a Dutch draftsman, painter, and etcher. He achieved particular fame for his vivid depictions of battles, naval battles, and other military scenes from the Patriot era (c. 1780–1800) and from the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (from 1792).

  Langendijk was born in Rotterdam's Bierhaven harbor. His father, Hendrik Langendijk from Wijhe, worked for the VOC chamber in Rotterdam as a garbuleur: someone who cleaned, selected, and graded spices. His mother was Hendrina van der Kamp from Arnhem. Langendijk received his initial training from Dirck Anthonie Bisschop (1708–1758), a painter who decorated interiors, coats of arms, and carriages, among other things. Langendijk shifted his focus early on to military subjects, which is evident in his early sketches of horses and soldiers (1769–1777).

  His personal life had a dark side: he was unhappily married and sought solace in narcotics. Langendijk died in 1805, relatively young. His son, Jan Anthonie Langendijk (1780–1818), followed in his footsteps as a draftsman.

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