Johannes Franciscus Spohler artwork • painting • for sale A Dutch town with a drawbridge

His father, Jan Jacob Spohler, died when Johannes Franciscus was only thirteen-years old, so it is likely he, unlike his sixteen-year older brother Jan Jacob Coenraad, never had lessons from him. This absence of a paternal painting influence is possibly why Johannes Franciscus chose a different genre to that of his father and brother. He concentrated on painting historicist city and village scenes with figures instead of summer landscapes and winter scenes. His oeuvre was inspired by that of the grand master in the field, Cornelis Springer, with his depictions of narrow streets of Old-Dutch houses, populated with all kinds of people busily engaged in all kinds of activity.