de Zwart Willem
Willem de Zwart or Wilhelmus Henricus Petrus Johannes de Zwart was a Dutch artist who was born in The Hague in 1862 and who died in 1931 also in The Hague. He was a Dutch painter, draftsman, etcher, watercolorist and pottery painter. De Zwart studied from 1876 to 1880 at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. He lived and worked in The Hague until 1894. In 1883 he stayed temporarily in Paris. He lived in Soest until 1896, in Hilversum until 1898, in Laren until 1900, in Amsterdam from 1900 to 1905 and in Veur until 1917. In 1917 he returned to The Hague, where he died in 1931. He also worked a lot in Scheveningen, Voorburg and Bloemendaal. Willem de Zwart's work shows a wide range of subjects: landscapes, cityscapes, portraits and still lifes, rendered in a naturalistic-impressionist style. He stood out within the Hague School because of his exuberant use of color. His work shows a kinship with Amsterdam's impressionism focused on people and the city. Willem de Zwart belonged to the Hague School in his choice of subjects, and to the Amsterdam Impressionists in his style and use of color. He is also known as the 'Hague Breitner'. He painted his landscapes, figure pieces and still lifes with a smooth, daring brushstroke. He applied the paint thickly, sometimes straight from the tube, with bright touches of color in exuberant reds, yellows and blues, giving his paintings a special vibrancy. De Zwart worked for the Plateelbakkerij Rozenburg for three years. He was also a member of the Nederlandsche Etsclub, Arti et Amicitiae and Pulchri Studio. He received several awards at international and national exhibitions. Museums in which his work can be viewed include the Kunstmuseum The Hague and the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo. (Catawiki)