Brooklyn Museum: European Art: In Danger

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In Danger

Like the French painters of the Barbizon School whom they greatly admired, Mesdag and his counterparts in the Hague School—so named for the Dutch city where they lived and worked—painted in the open air, capturing the distinctive landscapes and seascapes of the Netherlands. For the Dutch, who relied so heavily on trade and fishing, marine scenes proved extremely compelling subjects. Mesdag shows a small ship with seemingly wind-torn sails tossed by massive, white-capped waves. The high horizon line of Mesdag’s composition and the tonal unity of the scene—with sea and sky nearly indistinguishable—lends particular urgency to the sublime power of the sea.

Artist: Hendrik Willem Mesdag, Dutch, 1831-1915
Medium: Oil on canvas
Place Made: Europe
Dates: ca. 1895
Dimensions: 35 13/16 x 49 7/16 in. (91 x 125.6 cm)
Signature: Signed lower right: "H W. Mesdag"
Collections: European Art
Museum Location: This item is not on view
Accession Number: 26.604
Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. James Quinlan in memory of her husband
Image: Overall, 26.604.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph