Aanlegsteiger 1797 - 1870

Curator: Here at the Rijksmuseum, we have "Aanlegsteiger" – "Landing Stage" – a watercolor and mixed media work by Andreas Schelfhout. It was painted sometime between 1797 and 1870. Editor: Oh, it’s dreamy! Like a memory fading into mist. The muted colors give it this really tranquil, almost melancholy feel. It reminds me of early morning walks near the water. Curator: It does evoke that sense of transience. Schelfhout worked in the Romantic tradition, and this piece exemplifies their interest in the sublime and the emotional resonance of landscape. Editor: Absolutely. And the landing stage itself… it's just so solitary. It reads like a symbol. Waiting, perhaps? For a ship that may never come. The water is doing it, playing with light. Curator: A symbol, yes, that’s spot-on. Landing stages often stand as a threshold. Schelfhout captures a pivotal point. This meeting place suggests journeys, connection, maybe even transformation, don't you think? Editor: Yeah, it feels very psychological. The stillness is loud. Curator: The limited palette intensifies the emotional tone, doesn’t it? Gray, soft yellows. Each contributes to this almost sepia-toned vista. The mist seems to function, to me, like a veil over a hidden truth. Editor: You see right through the art with knowledge; that is amazing! I think what impresses me the most, looking at it, is this feeling it awakens in my gut, a very sensitive place, and also, those visible brushstrokes there...it just reminds me it's somebody painting! I keep forgetting. Curator: Absolutely! In contemplating this little gem of Romanticism, let us consider how artists such as Andreas Schelfhout created such profound impact with watercolor landscapes, capturing an emotive world. Editor: It’s more than a landing stage, it's an invitation to contemplate the nature of journeys, stillness and emotions.