Wouterus Verschuurartist • painter • watercolourist • draughtsmanAmsterdam 1812-1874 Vorden

Few painters in the 19th century could match Wouterus Verschuur in painting horses. He learned to capture the anatomy of these animals in perfect detail from his teacher, the livestock painter P.G. van Os, who painted horses as well as cattle and small livestock. Verschuur soon surpassed his teacher with paintings in which horses were the central theme. Verschuur was a typical painter of romanticism: he emphasized the magnificence and power of these noble animals. Verschuur's paintings show a great sense of composition and the effect of light. His horse markets, stable interiors, work horses and riding horses make us realize how important this animal was in the 19th century. Much more than now, one could judge how clever Verschuur could display the specific characteristics of a horse breed or type. In some of his paintings, Wouterus Verschuur was inspired by the work of the 17th-century horse painter Philips Wouwerman. The 19th-century painter was also a handsome painter of dogs, who often feature in a supporting role on his paintings. Sometimes these four-legged friends are the main motif. Verschuur liked to place them in interiors with a luxurious and elegant interior.