Johan Hendrik van Mastenbroek artwork • painting • for sale Grain elevators at work in the harbour, Rotterdam

Grain elevators at work in the Maashaven, Rotterdam shows that J.H. van Mastenbroek builds on the style of Haagse-Scholers such as Jacob Maris. Like this predecessor, he was fascinated by moody light, clouds and water. 'I could feast on the wonderful cloud formations and the battle between sun and clouds, so rich in colours', he wrote to a friend in 1945. As far as his subjects are concerned, he focuses almost entirely on business and technical progress of the port of Rotterdam after 1900. In this harbour view, the contours of ships, barges and figures dissolve into a grey-blue vapour of water and air. The surface of the water lights up here and there due to the movement of ships and boats constantly moving back and forth. Above it hang the clouds of smoke and steam from the grain elevators, which like large spider-shaped silhouettes in a continuous sucking and dumping of grain. The painter cleverly captures the relentless activity of this busy port along the Meuse. At an early age he was introduced to painting in the Rotterdam paint shop of his father, who also painted and sold paintings from the Barbizon School under the counter. Later, Van Mastenbroek was widely successful with his work.