Paper
Name Class Date

Jacob Henricus Maris, Collecting shellfish. Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
Jacob Henricus Maris originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/jacob-henricus-maris/
Artist’s dates
1837 – 1899
Movement
Hague School

In context

Collecting shellfish — Jacob Henricus Maris

When might this have been painted?

  1. 1830
  2. 1840
  3. 1850
  4. 1860
  5. 1870
  6. 1880
  7. 1890

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 62 at death.

Shaded: the lifetime of Jacob Henricus Maris (1837–1899) every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1873 Main working years: 1873–1890 Late works: from 1890

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

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/jacob-henricus-maris-collecting-shellfish-9GZMEA-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Putty #ddc798

    Catalogued palette

    • #DDC798
    • #B38248
    • #52311F
    • #D2AC6E

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

    Palette
    Pastels The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Putty
    Intensity
    Vivid How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Serene How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Unified Palette How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Brilliant How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Clear Color Presence 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 Jacob Henricus Maris over the last twelve months — 3 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 91.9%
    2. 2 Singapore 5.4%
    3. 3 Ukraine 2.7%

    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 Jacob Henricus Maris

    1. 1 "Portret van Willem", vermoedelijk Willem Matthijs Maris Jbzn, zoon van Jacob Maris, Jacob Maris, c. 1876, 1876 5.4%
    2. 2 Girl at a piano, 1879 5.4%
    3. 3 A Young Woman Nursing A Baby 5.4%
    4. 4 Low Tide 5.4%
    5. 5 Bluff-bowed Fishing Boat on the Beach at Scheveningen, Jacob Maris, c. 1885, 1885 5.4%
    6. 6 A Bleaching Field, Jacob Maris, 1870, 1870 5.4%
    7. 7 De Schreierstoren aan de Buitenkant te Amsterdam, Jacob Maris, c. 1876, 1876 5.4%
    8. 8 A Drawbridge in a Dutch Town 5.4%
    9. 9 De molen en de brug bij de Noord-West-Buitensingel in Den Haag, 1877 2.7%
    10. 10 Polder na onweer, 1892 2.7%
    11. 11 Fishing boat, 1878 2.7%
    12. 12 Huizen aan de Prins Hendrikkade te Amsterdam op een mistige dag, 1899 2.7%
    13. 13 Oud buurtje aan het water, 1883 2.7%
    14. 14 View on a city (also known as Gezicht op een stad), 1882 2.7%
    15. 15 Young Girl (Artist's Daughter) picking Flowers in the Grass, 1899 2.7%
    16. 16 Girl knitting on the balcony, Montmartre, 1869 2.7%
    17. 17 Jaco maris boulders 2.7%
    18. 18 A Girl Asleep On A Sofa 2.7%
    19. 19 A Girl Seated Outside a House, 1867 2.7%
    20. — Collecting shellfish this painting 0.0%

    Together these works take 72.9% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 145 works by this artist, of which 29 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

    Jacob Henricus Maris

    Born in The Hague, Netherlands

    Early Life and Training

    Born: August 25, 1837, The Hague, Netherlands

    Died: August 7, 1899, Karlsbad

    Maris began his artistic journey with lessons from J.A.B. Stroebel (1849-1852), laying the foundation for his future career.

    He formally studied at the Hague Academy of Art from 1850 to 1853, honing his skills and developing a nascent artistic style.

    A pivotal moment arrived when an art dealer recognized Maris's talent and arranged for him to work in the studio of Hubertus van Hove, a significant influence early in his development.

    His brother, Matthijs Maris, receiving a royal subsidy led to them working together, fostering a collaborative environment that further shaped their artistic paths.

    Artistic Career and Style

    Maris's career was marked by commercial success, with sales to collectors in the United States and Scotland demonstrating his growing reputation.

    Travels through Germany, Switzerland, and France (1861) exposed him to diverse artistic styles, broadening his influences and contributing to stylistic evolution.

    He became renowned for painting landscapes featuring rivers, mills, towpaths, and beach scenes with fishing boats, establishing a signature subject matter.

    Key Characteristics of His Style:

    Broad and larger brushstrokes created texture and movement within his paintings.

    Subdued colors contributed to the atmospheric quality of his landscapes.

    Emphasis on depicting clouds and their effects on the surrounding environment was a defining feature.

    He applied paint thickly, building it up and meticulously adjusting colors to achieve harmonious compositions.

    Comparisons have been drawn between Maris's work and that of earlier Dutch masters like Jan van Goyen, Jacob van Ruisdael, and Johannes Vermeer, highlighting his connection to the rich tradition of Dutch landscape painting.

    Major Works and Recognition

    Maris is celebrated for a series of portraits of the Royal House of Orange, undertaken in collaboration with his brother Matthijs, showcasing his portraiture skills alongside his landscapes.

    "Schip on the Scheveningen Beach" exemplifies his ability to capture coastal scenes with atmospheric depth and detail.

    He became a member of Pulchri Studio in 1871, signifying his acceptance within the established artistic community.

    From 1885 onwards, Maris achieved widespread recognition in the Netherlands, solidifying his position as a leader of the Hague School.

    Historical Significance and Legacy

    Maris's contribution to the Hague School is significant; he helped define its aesthetic characterized by realistic depictions of Dutch landscapes and an emphasis on atmospheric effects.

    His influence extended beyond his lifetime, inspiring subsequent generations of artists with his distinctive style and approach to landscape painting.

    His works can be found in prominent collections such as the Rijksmuseum, testament to their enduring artistic merit and historical importance.

    Maris’s legacy lies in his ability to capture the essence of the Dutch countryside through a unique blend of observation, technique, and artistic vision.

    Where to read more

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for Collecting shellfish

    originaluniqueart.com/en/art/download/jacob-henricus-maris-collecting-shellfish-9GZMEA-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Maris, Jacob Henricus. Collecting shellfish. n.d., https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/jacob-henricus-maris-collecting-shellfish-9GZMEA-en/
    APA
    Maris, Jacob Henricus (n.d.). Collecting shellfish [Painting]. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/jacob-henricus-maris-collecting-shellfish-9GZMEA-en/
    Chicago
    Jacob Henricus Maris. Collecting shellfish. n.d. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/jacob-henricus-maris-collecting-shellfish-9GZMEA-en/
    Harvard
    Maris, Jacob Henricus (n.d.) Collecting shellfish. Available at: https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/jacob-henricus-maris-collecting-shellfish-9GZMEA-en/

    Look closely

    Collecting shellfish — Jacob Henricus Maris

    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. How many faces can you find? ____ (our catalogue counts 1 — do you agree?)
    4. Our catalogue files this work under: coastal landscape, fisherman's work, rural life scene. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    5. Look back at A Bleaching Field, Jacob Maris, 1870 (1870), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.

    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

    Can I use augmented reality to see "Collecting shellfish" by Jacob Henricus Maris in my room?

    The AR Preview page of "Collecting shellfish" by Jacob Henricus Maris uses augmented reality to show the artwork in your own space, on a compatible device.

    How do the colors of "Collecting shellfish" relate to each other?

    The colors of "Collecting shellfish" by Jacob Henricus Maris show a unified palette harmony. Harmony describes how the colors relate to each other.

    What color leads the composition of "Collecting shellfish" by Jacob Henricus Maris?

    The dominant color of "Collecting shellfish" by Jacob Henricus Maris is putty (#ddc798).