Oil / Canvas: 40 x 60 cm
Ferdinand Hart Nibbrig (1866-1915) discovered Vlieland at the turn of the 20th century, where he created dazzling dune landscapes that represent the pinnacle of his work. He used the pointillist technique—developed by French neo-impressionists such as Seurat and Signac—where small dots of primary and complementary colours placed side by side produce a vibrant light effect. Hart Nibbrig learnt this technique in Paris during the 1880s through Theo van Gogh. Back in the Netherlands, he worked in Laren, Domburg, and Zoutelande. As one of the first artists, he introduced luminism to the Netherlands. He died in 1915 aged fifty-two. A major collection is held at the Singer Museum in Laren.
Ferdinand Hart Nibbrig was born in Amsterdam on 5 April 1866. He studied at the Amsterdam National Academy from 1883 to 1888, and finished his schooling in Paris at Ecole Julien and the Cormon studio. There he was influenced by the work of Vincent van Gogh and Georges Seurat, although he would only use these influences in his work later on. After returning to the Netherlands, in his initial years as an artist, Hart Nibbrig mainly worked in the impressionist style of the Amsterdam School of Breitner and Isaac Israels. When he moved to Laren, his style gradually became more realistic, but increasingly he also painted pointillistic landscapes. Whether depicting people or landscapes, Hart Nibbrig continually strove to penetrate the essence of what he perceived. People in their environment, with special attention for labourers, weavers and farming types, were depicted realistically, and approached psychologically and in a flat style. His aim was to reveal their characters. When painting landscapes he strived to portray the light in all its manifestations. His work is characterized by an abundance of light and bright colours. Except in the artist’s village of Laren, Nibbrig worked and lived for shorter or longer spells in Rhenen, in Vlieland, in South Limburg and in Zoutelande in Zeeland. He also took trips to North Africa and Germany. On 12 October 1915 Hart Nibbrig died in Laren at the age of fifty-two. Although his career as a painter ended far too early, his artistic heritage has remained important. Hart Nibbrich was one of the first artists to introduce luminism in the Netherlands. A large collection of his work can be seen in the Singer Museum in Laren, not far from the villa and atelier where much of his best work was made.