At one time Hobbema was appointed gauger for the town. It was his duty to measure the quantity of all liquids imported into Holland. This position must have paid a fairly good salary, for Hobbema was married directly after his appointment. It must have taken all his time, too, for he painted very little for nearly twenty years. The fact that he had a means of livelihood did not spur him on to greater efforts. He painted only when he felt like it, not very often, and small, unimportant pictures. Whether he lost this office before or after his wife’s death is not known, but for some reason or other his last years were spent in extreme poverty.
Twenty-six years after his death his pictures began to sell, and soon picture dealers were scouring the country for his works.
His landscapes are not full of people, animals, or anything that might disturb the calm, quiet restfulness of the scenes. Like Ruysdael, he too was compelled to call upon other artists to draw the few figures he did use, as he found this part most difficult.
One thing we may be sure of when we look at his paintings, and that is, they were faithful representations of the place before him. So we may know just how this road leading to the village of Middelharnis really looked more than two centuries ago.
Other famous paintings by Hobbema are entitled: “Showery Weather,” “Village with Water Mills,” “Woody Landscape,” “Ruins of Brederode Castle,” “Forest Scene,” “Cottage in a Wood,” and “Entrance to a Wood.”
Questions about the artist. What kind of a man do you think Hobbema must have been? Why? In what ways do his pictures resemble him? What kind of pictures did he like to paint? What time of day? Why might an exhibition of all his paintings prove monotonous?
What would you consider one of the best things about his paintings? What other great artist lived at this time and in the same place? How did their paintings resemble each other? What office did Hobbema hold? What were some of his duties? How did this position affect his work? What became of his paintings? Why was he so poor? Why were his paintings not appreciated? How are they regarded now? Why do you think Hobbema must have loved his work?
By Permission of Braun & Co., Paris and New York