Gerrit Willem van Blaaderenartist • painterNieuwer-Amstel (Amstelveen) 1873-1935 Bergen (N.H.)

Gerrit Willem van Blaaderen was one of the most important painters of the Bergen School. He painted Dutch river views, flowers, landscapes and some city and harbour views. During repeated trips to France, Italy, Germany and England, landscapes and cityscapes were created there as well. His great example was Paul Cézanne, and on his advice his father-in-law Cornelis Hoogendijk acquired a large collection of Cézannes which he later donated to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The work of this painter influences his visual language from 1918, when Van Blaaderen settled in Bergen, presumably on the advice of his friend Leo Gestel. From now on he built up his landscapes and village views from large, calm areas of colour, beautiful in colour and clever in composition. Van Blaaderen was, together with Gestel, among others, one of the founders of the 'Hollandsche Kunstenaarskring'.