A View of the Groenburgwal with the Zuiderkerk, seen from the River Amstel, Amsterdam, Johannes Christiaan Karel Klinkenberg
On the Elsewhere blog (for which I must issue a Timesink Warning). Also on Sotheby’s. Original is in a private collection.
Another beautiful example of the genre of 19th century Dutch townscape paintings that I just love — in this case a wonderfully painterly example.
Link: A View of the Groenburgwal with the Zuiderkerk, seen from the River Amstel, Amsterdam, on Elsewhere blog
The attraction of many Dutch towns are their grachten. Another of Klinkenberg’s watercolours is one of Meppel. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Gracht_Meppel_door_Johannes_Christiaan_Karel_Klinkenberg_%281852_1924%29.jpg
The three main ‘canals’ of Amsterdam, Herengracht, Prinsengracht, and Keizersgracht, were dug in the 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age.
A gracht (city-canal) is a waterway in the city with streets (the wallen, plural = Groenbrugwal)) on both sides of the water. The streets are lined with houses, often in a closed front. Other words for manmade waterways within cities are either ‘kanaal’ or ‘singel’, best left untranslated.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3NZnZsim_Y
The same Groenburgwal lovingly painted years later by Sal(omon) Meijer who was born and raised in the Jewish neighbourhood at #10 Zwanenburgwal. As a Jew Sal was banned from exhibiting his paintings during the occupation until the end of the war. He survived because he was married to a non-jewish woman, Elisabeth (Liesje) Giehl, 30 years his junior.
http://www.uripremselaar.nl/photo2/?page=view&id=437
http://www.jhm.nl/cultuur-en-geschiedenis/personen/m/meijer,+salomon
Typo: non-jewish German woman, Elisabeth (Liesje) Giehl, 20 odd years his junior. I’m sorry, not 30.