I’m happy to say that after several months of being relegated to the stacks, one of my favorite paintings is back on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art: Water Mill by Frits Thaulow.
I don’t think anyone handles the reflections, translucency and surface motion of small streams better than Thaulow.
Unfortunately, the museum’s page for the painting has removed the former zoomable image, and their current reproduction is too dark.
I found a better and larger reproduction here, from this blog. (Here is my own photo.)
I’ve written specifically about Water Mill before, as well as writing about Frits Thaulow (in a post with lots of links to Thaulow images), and here.










Water Mill at Philadelphia Museum of Art
Frits Thaulow's Water Mill
Frits Thaulow (update) (list of links to Frits Thaulow images)
Frits Thaulow
Psst! ~ http://www.philamuseum.org/images/cad/zoomers//CAT1091.JPG
never heard of this artist before…but ohhh those colors & reflection…just beautiful!
Thanks, Arjuna. They still have it too dark, but it’s nice to know about the larger size.
The Dutch, have just remembered the disaster that surprised them on January 1st.1953.
There was too much water to handle than the painting suggests. It’s a real beauty. Thanks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcX5wb1k9UM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Sea_flood_of_1953
Correction: February 1st,1953
I never get tired of viewing that painting. Both inspiring, and as you say pure “eye candy”. Thanks, Charley.
Bill
Thanks Charley for posting this painting! It’s been eight years since I have been to the Philadelphia Museum of art, and among all the great works strangely this painting is one of the few that stayed with me even though I did not remember the name of the artist. I was so impressed by the wonderful translucent green of the water which I have never seen painted like this before, I remember looking at this for a long time, such a soothing and true-to-nature painting it is! I am happy to see it again on your blog.
Thanks, Susanne. If you’re not familiar with Thaulow’s other work, it’s worth looking up. There are resources on the web linked from some of my other articles on his work.
I had the pleasure of viewing this painting last summer and can’t get it out of my mind. I too was taken by the way the water looked so real. It is truly a masterpiece. I would love a reproduction. I found one for $350 but just don’t have those funds now.
I haven’t investigated personally, but you can try one of these for reproductions of works in the Philadelphia Museum of Art:
Art Resource http://www.artres.com
Bridgeman Art Library http://www.bridgemanart.com
Corbis http://www.corbis.com