Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 7 works by Ferdinand Oldewelt in our catalogue
In short
A Gypsy Girl in a Church (1917) is the Ferdinand Oldewelt painting that draws the most eyes; the original belongs to the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam. After it, the eye goes to Woman with spinning wheel (1886) and Gypsy girl (1905). Among the 7 works of Ferdinand Oldewelt in our catalog, these 7 are the most famous, each a unique original presented with its year, its museum and the reason it endures.
A young girl occupies the center of this 1917 oil painting, positioned slightly to the left of the vertical axis. She is depicted in a full-length portrait, standing within a muted interior that suggests a church setting. Her figure is defined by a heavy, saturated red coat that provides the primary color weight in the composition. A teal-green scarf is wrapped around her neck, offering a cool contrast to the…
The 4 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Ferdinand Oldewelt | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Amsterdam Museum |
Amsterdam | 4 | Woman with spinning wheel, Mr. Willem Frederik Hendrik Oldewelt (1895-?), Portrait of an angora cat |
 Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen |
Rotterdam | 1 | A Gypsy Girl in a Church |
 Dordrechts Museum |
Dordrecht | 1 | Gypsy girl |
 Groninger Museum |
Groningen | 1 | Varkensmarkt on the Grote Markt, Groningen, |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
A young girl occupies the center of this 1917 oil painting, positioned slightly to the left of the vertical axis. She is depicted in a full-length portrait, standing within a muted interior that suggests a church setting. Her figure is defined by a heavy, saturated red coat that provides the primary color weight in the composition. A teal-green scarf is wrapped around her neck, offering a cool contrast to the…
A Gypsy Girl in a Church (1917), Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam. Woman with spinning wheel (1886) and Gypsy girl (1905) come next.
60 years old: A Gypsy Girl in a Church dates from 1917, and Ferdinand Oldewelt was born in 1857.
Our catalog holds 7 works by Ferdinand Oldewelt, dated from 1886 to 1925.
Mostly in Amsterdam Museum (Amsterdam), Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (Rotterdam) and Dordrechts Museum (Dordrecht). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1880s: 3 of the 7 works on this page were made then, Woman with spinning wheel among them.
On this page, the earliest is Woman with spinning wheel (1886) and the latest Mr. Willem Frederik Hendrik Oldewelt (1895-?) (1925).
Woman with spinning wheel, Mr. Willem Frederik Hendrik Oldewelt (1895-?) and Portrait of an angora cat: the Amsterdam Museum, Amsterdam holds 4 of the works on this page.
Ferdinand Oldewelt lived a life shaped by the steady rhythm of the studio and the classroom. Born in Amsterdam, he spent his early years absorbing the technical rigor required of a professional artist. His training took him from the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten, where he studied under August Allebé and Barend Wijnveld, to the Koninklijke Academie voor Schone Kunsten in Antwerp. It was here, under the guidance of Charles Verlat, that his hand found its specific way of seeing. He was not merely a painter but a man of many tools, working as a printmaker, watercolorist, and etcher. His hands were as comfortable with the sharp bite of an etching needle as they were with the soft spread of a watercolor wash.
His career was defined by a commitment to the instruction of others. He moved through various roles of leadership and teaching, shaping the hands of many students. His influence stretched across several institutions, leaving a mark on the way art was taught in the Netherlands during his lifetime.
By 1890, Oldewelt was among the first to settle near the village of Laren, a place that would become a gathering point for many painters. While he did not officially make Laren his permanent home until 1922, his presence in the area was felt long before. He became part of the Larense School, a group of artists drawn to the rural landscape and the quietude of interior scenes. His work often focused on these intimate subjects, such as a woman with a spinning wheel, capturing the stillness of a moment. He was a man of his community, holding memberships in groups like Arti et Amicitiae and Pulchri Studio.
His technical skill was evident in the way he handled light and form, whether in a formal drawing or a finished painting. He taught many notable figures, including Pieter den Besten and Gesina Boevé, passing down the discipline he had acquired in his own youth. He remained active in his craft and his teaching until his death in Laren in 1935.
