Vrouwen aan zee 1885 - 1897

"Vrouwen aan zee" (Women by the Sea) is an oil on canvas painting by Dutch artist Jan Toorop, created between 1885 and 1897. The painting, currently housed at the Rijksmuseum, depicts four women standing on a grassy shore overlooking a vast sea. The women are portrayed in a simple, almost anonymous manner, their forms obscured by loose, gestural brushstrokes. The painting's muted palette and atmospheric perspective create a sense of tranquility and contemplation, characteristic of Toorop's later works. The soft, blurred lines of the figures and the misty horizon contribute to the artwork's dreamy, ethereal quality.