Dutch artist Johannes Weiland is predominantly known for rustic scenes depicting everyday rural life. New mothers look dotingly at babies in wicker baskets while buckled old ladies peel potatoes in sparse cottages. Every moment subtly emphasised via light through a ragged window.

Weiland was Academy-trained and like many of his generation inspired by the old Dutch Masters. In his bold brush marks, we see the strength of Rembrandt coupled with a masterly approach to light/shade. Proud of his heritage, the rich history of the low countries runs throughout his body of work.

His ‘Interior with an old lady seated and cutting cloth’, which is in the collection at the V&A, depicts an older lady in cramped conditions scissoring some green material. She’s focused on the task at hand - the cloth illuminated via a window between timbers.

1856

Born Vlaardingen, The Netherlands.

Studied at the Rotterdam Academy where he later became a teacher of drawing.

1909

Died in The Hague. The Netherlands.