Remigius van Haanen (1812-1894) was a distinguished painter/etcher of landscapes and genre scenes.

Romanticism during the early 19th century celebrated the imagination. The images, poetry, and feelings, each of us internalise. Be it the gushing prose of Wordsworth, the gasping despair of Géricault, or the lung-filling invigoration of Friedrich, artists and writers looked first inside themselves, before interpreting the world around them.

The Romantic Spirit

The emergence of the Romantic spirit enabled viewers and readers to escape into a dramatised version of reality. Where snow-tipped mountain ranges engulf intrepid climbers and daffodils flutter like a buoyant Regency ballroom.

Artists in The Netherlands expressed these Romantic ideologies in their own way - with less melodrama but with an abundance of mood. They had the advantage of looking back for inspiration, to the ‘Golden Age’ masters, such as Jacob van Ruisdael, Jan Both and Hobbema. After all, the Dutch had been painting with soul for over 200 years.

A Talented Family

Remigius (Remy) van Haanen had his father to thank for his early development as a painter of distinction. Casparis Haanen, a paper cutter, was an aficionado of art and collected a veritable library of old master engravings. He taught each of his children to draw and it was a family of great artistic merit. His eldest, Georg Gillis, became known for nocturnes, Elisabeth Alida for scenes, and Adriana Johanna for exquisite still lifes.

Following his father’s early tuition, Remigus undertook his formal training at the Academy of Utrecht before embarking on an extensive tour of southern Europe to broaden his experience. With each new city, he confronted a new panorama - plenty of opportunities to fill his sketchbook. It also opened the door to fresh exhibition opportunities and a variety of interested buyers.

In 1842, he settled in Vienna where he remained for the next fifty years. It’s here that he established a reputation as one of the foremost painters of his type, with “almost every art exhibition” featuring “one or more paintings by him, which then regularly found their way into the galleries of enthusiasts.”

His fine painting style was underpinned by his significant ability as a draughtsman - and his drawings are a particular delight. He’d developed an acute understanding of the nuances of chiaroscuro and could render nature at its most believable.

Remigius van Haanen, Study of a Tree

His deft handling of glistening snow illuminated by moonlight was also exemplary.

Remigius Adrianus van Haanen, Snow-Covered Forest Nocturne

Around 1847, Lambertini, editor of the ‘Milan Gazzetta’, described his traits as: “Clear and decisive thought, softness of the brush, melting of the colours. Truth of conception, infinite care and that unity of the whole which is truly enchanting!"

Later in life, much like his father, he collected numerous drawings, etchings and engravings by the Golden Age masters, including ‘Saskia in Bed’ and other studies by Rembrandt. He was an elected member of several academies including those in Amsterdam, Milan and Venice. 

Remigius van Haanen is represented at the Rijksmuseum, The British Museum and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Public Collections

The British Museum, Museum of Foreign Art in Riga, Rijksmuseum, Moravian Gallery in Brno, Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, Centraal Museum in Utrecht, Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, Bratislava City Gallery, Slovak National Gallery.

Timeline

1812

Born in Oosterhout, the Netherlands, to Casparis Haanen, an artist and paper cutter, and Isabella van Haanen (born Sangster).

Trained initially by his father.

Studied at the Academy of Utrecht.

1834-1835

Worked in Frankfurt.

1842

Moved to Vienna.

Married Emilie Theresia van Haanen (born Mayer de Alsó-Rußbach).

1850-1856

Worked in St Petersburg.

1894

Died in Bad Aussee, Austria.