Willem Maris facts for kids
Willem Maris (born February 18, 1844 – died October 10, 1910) was a famous Dutch landscape painter. He was part of a group of artists called the Hague School. He was well-known for painting beautiful outdoor scenes, especially with cows and ducks.
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Willem Maris's Early Life and Art
Willem Maris was born in The Hague, a city in the Netherlands. He was the third of five children in his family. His older brothers, Jacob and Matthijs Maris, were also painters before him.
People often say Willem taught himself how to paint. He once said that he started working outdoors when he was very young. Even before he turned twelve, he would sit in meadows and watch cows.
Learning to Paint
Willem learned a lot from his older brothers. During the winters, he went to the Academy of Art. There, he practiced drawing from models and learned about perspective. In the summer, he always studied nature outside. In winter, he would draw in stables.
He also got advice from another artist, Pieter Stortenbeker. Pieter painted animals and gave Willem pictures to copy. This helped Willem improve his skills.
Meeting Other Artists
In 1862, Willem showed his first painting, Cows on the Heath. He might have painted it in Oosterbeek, a place he visited that year. In Oosterbeek, he met two other important artists, Gerard Bilders and Anton Mauve.
Willem told a story about meeting Mauve. He was painting outside when Mauve came up to him. Mauve was so impressed that he hugged Willem and said, "I sit here all day trying to get it right, and you get it right away!" They became good friends and stayed close for their whole lives.
In 1863, the Mauve family moved and set up a studio. All three Maris brothers could work there. Willem also traveled along the Rhine River, just like his brothers had done. Later, he shared a studio with Bernard Blommers. His brother Matthijs and Anton Mauve often visited them there.
Willem also studied paintings at the Mauritshuis museum. He copied works by Paulus Potter, a famous 17th-century painter of animals. Potter's work also inspired other artists like Gerard Bilders and Jan Hendrik Weissenbruch.
Willem Maris's Painting Style
Willem Maris painted steadily throughout his life. He always stuck to the subjects he loved from his youth. These included meadows with willow trees and ditches. He often painted cows or calves in fields, by rivers, or near ponds. Later, he also painted ducks and chickens.
His paintings and watercolors are famous for how he used light. Willem Maris often said, "I don't paint cows, but rather effects of light." This means he focused on how light made things look. His early paintings often showed cool, cloudy weather.
Someone once wrote that young Willem loved painting misty scenes. He would even stop his painting trips if the sun and wind cleared away the morning mist too quickly!
Phases of His Work
Willem Maris's work can be seen in three main stages.
- First Stage: His earliest paintings showed very exact details of the surroundings. He was still learning how to paint animals' bodies perfectly.
- Second Stage: He became very skilled at painting animals. His use of color became stronger. He painted meadows and trees with many shades of green.
- Third Stage (around 1880): He started using wider brushstrokes. He also used a technique called impasto, where paint is applied thickly. Even with these broader strokes, his paintings still felt very personal and calm.
Willem Maris used lively colors, which made him different from other artists of his time who used more muted tones. Because of his focus on light and color, he was often called the "impressionist" of the Hague School.
Later Life and Legacy
Willem Maris said he never had any students. However, around 1880, the artist George Hendrik Breitner might have studied with him. Willem also taught his own son, Simon Willem, how to paint. He certainly influenced many other artists.
When Willem Maris was in his sixties, he often felt tired. He visited Karlsbad a few times for health treatments, just like his brother Jacob had done. Willem Maris passed away in The Hague on October 10, 1910.
See also
In Spanish: Willem Maris para niños
- Hague School
