Herman ten Kate Art

Herman Frederick Ten Kate 1822 - The Hague - 1891 Interior Scene Watercolor on paper 9 1/4 x 13 1/4 inches (23.4 x 33.6 cm) Framed: 17 x 21 ½ inches (43 x 54.6 cm) Signed lower right Provenance: Private Collection, USA Herman Ten Kate spent most of his life in The Hague although he did occasionally travel to Amsterdam and Haarlem. He was a member of the Royal Academy in Amsterdam in 1847. He was a student of Cornelis Krusemans from 1837 to 1841. Ten Kate generally depicted friendly genre scenes as well as scenes with soldiers inspired by the 80 years war. His work is generally of watercolor and lithographs. Our sheet offers a quiet scene in which two gentlemen are featured, each sporting the extravagant hats, vests and tall boots typical of the 19th century, inspired by the 17th century Guardroom scenes. One man rests against the back of a chair, his face marked with a serious expression, his left hand gesturing toward the other man seated at the table. The seated figure wears a rather bemused expression as he composes a letter, apparently taking delight in his endeavor. The two figures are surrounded by various objects cluttering the room, which Ten Kate employs for the specific means of compositional balance. The various interior elements -- a long wooden table...