BACKHUYSEN, Ludolf

BACKHUYSEN, Ludolf, b. The Netherlands, 1631 - 1708, and Ludolf Bakhuizen was a German-born Dutch painter, draughtsman, calligrapher and printmaker. He was the leading Dutch painter of maritime subjects after Willem van de Velde the Elder and Younger left for England in 1672. He also painted portraits of his family and circle of friends. He was born in Emden, East Frisia, and came to Amsterdam in about 1650, working as a merchant's clerk and a calligrapher. He discovered so strong a genius for painting that he relinquished the business and devoted himself to art from the late 1650s, initially to pen drawings. He studied first under Allart van Everdingen and then under Hendrik Dubbels, two eminent masters of the time, and soon became celebrated for his images of the water, which often depicted rough seas. He was an ardent student of nature, and frequently exposed himself on the sea in an open boat to study the effects of storms. His compositions, which are numerous, are nearly all variations of one subject, the sea, and in a style peculiarly his own, marked by intense realism or faithful imitation of nature. Backhuysen’s canvases are often large and frequently depict stormy scenes. In addition to the seascapes for which he is famous, Backhuysen painted some portraits, allegorical compositions, and townscapes. Besides his work as a calligrapher, he was also a printmakerIn his later years Backhuysen employed his skills in etching., “BACKHUYSEN, Ludolf,” UCSB ADA Museum Omeka, accessed April 23, 2024, http://art-collections.museum.ucsb.edu/items/show/3740.