De veemarkt 1872 - 1931

Willem de Zwart made this watercolor, De veemarkt, with delicate washes of color to evoke the atmosphere of a Dutch livestock market. It’s kind of subdued, right? The overall tonality is muted—soft blues, greens, and browns layered in such a way that the forms emerge from the background. I imagine the artist outdoors, quickly capturing the scene, moving and shifting with the changing light. You can almost feel the dampness in the air, the smell of earth and livestock. The figures are rendered with a few strokes, just enough to suggest their presence and activity. It's about the act of observing, feeling, and translating that experience onto paper. De Zwart was part of the Hague School, and you see that sensibility here—an emphasis on mood, atmosphere, and the everyday life of the Dutch countryside. I think there is so much to learn from these painters, they are in constant dialogue. Each artist is constantly responding to, building upon, and challenging the ideas of those who came before. It’s an ongoing conversation!