Paper

Student Artwork Guide

On the maas

Name Class Date

Andreas Schelfhout, On the maas. Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
Andreas Schelfhout originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/andreas-schelfhout/
Artist’s dates
1787 – 1870

In context

On the maas — Andreas Schelfhout

When might this have been painted?

  1. 1780
  2. 1790
  3. 1800
  4. 1810
  5. 1820
  6. 1830
  7. 1840
  8. 1850
  9. 1860
  10. 1870

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 83 at death.

Shaded: the lifetime of Andreas Schelfhout (1787–1870) every dated painting, decade by decade

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/andreas-schelfhout-on-the-maas-9HTUDF-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Quinacridone Magenta #7d6a48

    Catalogued palette

    • #7D6A48
    • #1E1609
    • #4E4E41
    • #B18C53

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Palette
    Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Quinacridone Magenta
    Intensity
    Balanced How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Bold How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Strong Color Unity How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Shadow How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Balanced Soft How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Andreas Schelfhout over the last twelve months — 8 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 66.2%
    2. 2 Brazil 15.5%
    3. 3 United States of America 8.5%
    4. 4 Singapore 4.2%
    5. 5 Switzerland 1.4%
    6. 6 Germany 1.4%
    7. 7 France 1.4%
    8. 8 United Kingdom 1.4%

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 20 most looked-at works by Andreas Schelfhout

    1. 1 Sunset At Sea 18.2%
    2. 2 River Landscape With Windmill In Haarlem And The Ruins Of Brederode 3.9%
    3. 3 Loading the sledge Sun 3.9%
    4. 4 A Shepherd And His Flock On Castle Grounds 2.6%
    5. 5 Ruin in winter landscape Sun 2.6%
    6. 6 Dutch Boats Moored On A River Next To A Windmill 2.6%
    7. 7 A Village With A Church On A Rocky Coast, Fishermen On The Beach Nearby 2.6%
    8. 8 A Winter Landscape With A Horse-drawn Sledge On A Frozen Waterway 2.6%
    9. 9 Merriment on ice 3 Sun 2.6%
    10. 10 Scaters on canal 3 Sun 2.6%
    11. 11 Koek en Zopie Sun 2.6%
    12. 12 A Wooded River Landscape With Travellers Near A Ruin 2.6%
    13. 13 Winter landscape 2 Sun 1.3%
    14. 14 Winter Landscape 1.3%
    15. 15 Traveller country road in winter Sun 1.3%
    16. 16 German Landscape With Ruin 1.3%
    17. 17 Travellers On A Country Road 1.3%
    18. 18 Figures With A Horse Sledge On The Ice A Town In The Distance 1.3%
    19. 19 two figures in a summer landscape 1.3%
    20. On the maas this painting 0.0%

    Together these works take 58.5% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 246 works by this artist, of which 51 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Andreas Schelfhout

    Born in The Hague, Netherlands

    Andreas Schelfhout: A Dutch Romantic Landscape Master

    Born: The Hague, Netherlands (1787)

    Died: 1870

    Early Life and Training

    Andreas Schelfhout began his artistic journey in an unconventional manner. Initially working as a house painter within his father's framing business, he demonstrated early artistic talent by creating paintings during his spare time. A successful first exhibition in The Hague led to his father sending him for formal training with Joannes Breckenheimer, a stage designer. This education wasn’t solely focused on painting techniques; Schelfhout also undertook detailed studies of the works of 17th-century Dutch masters like Meindert Hobbema and Jacob van Ruisdael, laying a foundation for his own landscape style.

    Career and Artistic Development

    In 1815, Schelfhout established his own workshop, quickly gaining recognition for his technical skill, compositional sense, and naturalistic use of color. He became a member of the Pulchri Studio and achieved significant milestones including a gold medal at the Antwerp exhibition in 1819 and membership in the Royal Academy for Visual Arts of Amsterdam in 1818. Schelfhout’s winter scenes, particularly those depicting frozen canals with skaters, were immensely popular during his lifetime. He fostered the careers of numerous artists who later achieved fame, such as Johan Jongkind, Charles Leickert, and Nicholas Roosenboom. His collaborative work with Hendrik van de Sande Bakhuyzen, a prominent Romantic landscape painter, further solidified his position within the artistic community.

    Key Themes and Influences

    Schelfhout’s art was deeply rooted in the Romantic movement, characterized by an emphasis on emotion, imagination, and the sublime power of nature. His landscapes often featured dramatic skies, atmospheric perspective, and a sense of tranquility or melancholy. While influenced by earlier Dutch masters, Schelfhout developed his own distinct style, focusing on capturing the unique atmosphere of the Dutch countryside, especially during winter. He was particularly known for his ability to depict ice and snow with remarkable realism and evocative detail.

    Legacy and Historical Significance

    Andreas Schelfhout’s death marked a significant transition in Dutch art, signaling the end of the Romantic period. However, he is widely recognized as a precursor to the Hague School, a later movement known for its realistic depictions of Dutch landscapes. His innovative use of watercolor in plein air sketching significantly influenced artists like Jongkind, Jan Hendrik Weissenbruch, and Willem Roelofs, who became masters of this technique. Schelfhout’s legacy continues through his artworks displayed in prominent museums such as the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Mauritshuis in The Hague, demonstrating his enduring contribution to Dutch art history.

    Where to read more

    • The artist Andreas Schelfhout originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/andreas-schelfhout/
    • Similar works More works to compare originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/andreas-schelfhout-on-the-maas-9HTUDF-en/

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for On the maas

    originaluniqueart.com/en/art/download/andreas-schelfhout-on-the-maas-9HTUDF-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Schelfhout, Andreas. On the maas. n.d., https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/andreas-schelfhout-on-the-maas-9HTUDF-en/
    APA
    Schelfhout, Andreas (n.d.). On the maas [Painting]. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/andreas-schelfhout-on-the-maas-9HTUDF-en/
    Chicago
    Andreas Schelfhout. On the maas. n.d. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/andreas-schelfhout-on-the-maas-9HTUDF-en/
    Harvard
    Schelfhout, Andreas (n.d.) On the maas. Available at: https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/andreas-schelfhout-on-the-maas-9HTUDF-en/

    Look closely

    On the maas — Andreas Schelfhout

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Look back at Winter landscape 2 Sun, earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    4. What might the artist have wanted you to feel?
    5. If you could ask the artist one question about this work, what would it be?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Questions & Answers

    Is "On the maas" by Andreas Schelfhout in the public domain?

    The copyright answer for "On the maas" by Andreas Schelfhout: the work is in the public domain - its copyright has expired. This determines whether reproductions of the image may be freely made.

    Can I examine "On the maas" in more detail?

    The X-Ray page of "On the maas" by Andreas Schelfhout is an interactive viewer that lets you slide through eleven optical layers of the artwork's image, including an X-ray style view.

    What is the format of "On the maas"?

    "On the maas" by Andreas Schelfhout has a landscape format. The format describes the proportions of the composition.

    What color intensity does "On the maas" by Andreas Schelfhout have?

    "On the maas" by Andreas Schelfhout shows a balanced color intensity.

    Can I use augmented reality to see "On the maas" by Andreas Schelfhout in my room?

    "On the maas" has an augmented reality preview: the artwork's AR Preview page shows it in your own space on a compatible device.

    What color harmony does "On the maas" by Andreas Schelfhout display?

    "On the maas" by Andreas Schelfhout displays a strong color unity color harmony.

    Which artist is "On the maas" attributed to?

    "On the maas" was created by Andreas Schelfhout. The information on this page describes Andreas Schelfhout's original work.

    Where can I buy a hand-painted reproduction of "On the maas" by Andreas Schelfhout?

    You can order a hand-painted reproduction of "On the maas" by Andreas Schelfhout directly on this page: a hand-painted oil reproduction on linen canvas, made to order.