The Dutch Golden Age, spanning roughly the 17th century, represents a remarkable period in Western art history. Fueled by economic prosperity, maritime dominance, and a burgeoning middle class eager to adorn their homes, the Dutch Republic witnessed an explosion of artistic production. While masters like Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, and Frans Hals often dominate the narrative, the era's richness lies also in the vast number of highly skilled painters specializing in various genres. Among these dedicated artists was Anthony Jansz van der Croos, a painter whose life and work offer a valuable window into the landscape painting traditions of this vibrant period.
Early Life and Origins
Anthony Jansz van der Croos entered the world around 1606 or 1607. His birthplace was Alkmaar, a historic city in the province of North Holland. While details of his earliest training remain obscure, surviving works dated as early as 1627 strongly suggest he was already practicing as a painter before leaving his hometown. This indicates a formative period likely spent learning the fundamentals of his craft, perhaps under a local master whose identity is now lost to time. Alkmaar, though not as prominent an artistic center as Amsterdam or Haarlem, possessed its own community of artists and craftsmen, providing a potential environment for his initial development.
The Netherlands during this time was undergoing significant social and cultural shifts. The rise of Calvinism had diminished the demand for large-scale religious altarpieces, redirecting artistic focus towards subjects that appealed to the tastes of wealthy merchants, civic guards, and private citizens. Portraits, genre scenes depicting everyday life, still lifes, and, crucially for Van der Croos, landscapes became highly sought after. The Dutch landscape, with its flat terrain, expansive skies, and intricate waterways, became a subject of national pride and intense artistic scrutiny.
Relocation and Career in The Hague
Sometime before 1632, Van der Croos made a significant move, relocating to The Hague. This city, the administrative heart of the Dutch Republic and the seat of the Princes of Orange, was a bustling center of political, social, and artistic life. It attracted numerous artists seeking patronage and opportunity. For Van der Croos, the move proved pivotal. By 1634, records show him purchasing property there, indicating a degree of establishment and commitment to the city.
Crucially, The Hague was home to a thriving chapter of the Guild of Saint Luke, the professional organization for painters, sculptors, engravers, and other artisans in many European cities. Membership was often essential for legally practicing one's craft and selling work within the city limits. Van der Croos duly became a member of the Hague Guild, integrating himself into the local artistic community. This membership provided not only professional legitimacy but also opportunities for networking, collaboration, and exposure.
The Hague's artistic scene was dynamic. It hosted painters specializing in various genres, from the elegant court portraits associated with the House of Orange to the detailed landscapes and genre scenes favored by the broader market. Van der Croos found his niche within this environment, focusing primarily on landscape painting, a genre experiencing immense popularity throughout the Netherlands.
Artistic Style and the Influence of Van Goyen
Anthony van der Croos developed a distinctive, albeit representative, style of landscape painting characteristic of the mid-17th century Dutch school. His works typically feature panoramic views of the Dutch countryside, often incorporating rivers, canals, clusters of trees, and distant villages or towns. A sense of tranquility and careful observation of natural detail pervades his canvases. He often employed a relatively muted palette, favoring earthy tones and subtle atmospheric effects, particularly in rendering the vast Dutch skies, which frequently dominate his compositions.
A defining factor in Van der Croos's artistic development was his relationship with Jan van Goyen (1596–1656), one of the most prolific and influential landscape painters of the Dutch Golden Age. Van Goyen was not only a contemporary but also a neighbor of Van der Croos in The Hague. Archival evidence suggests a close association, and art historians widely acknowledge Van Goyen's significant impact on Van der Croos's style.
This influence is visible in several aspects of Van der Croos's work. The adoption of a tonal approach, where subtle variations in browns, grays, and greens create atmospheric depth and unity, echoes Van Goyen's pioneering techniques. Compositional structures, often featuring a low horizon line and diagonal elements leading the viewer's eye into the distance, also show parallels. While Van der Croos maintained his own artistic identity, the stylistic kinship with his renowned neighbor is undeniable and places him firmly within the mainstream of Dutch landscape painting during this period.
Themes and Subject Matter
Van der Croos's oeuvre primarily revolves around landscape. He excelled at capturing the specific character of the Dutch environment. His subjects included tranquil river scenes with small boats, wooded areas bordering open fields, and views of villages nestled within the countryside. Architectural elements frequently feature as focal points or background details – castles, church towers, windmills, and town ramparts punctuate his horizons, adding points of interest and often identifying specific locations.
He was particularly adept at depicting cityscapes, integrating urban profiles into broader landscape settings. His paintings often showcase the harmonious coexistence of nature and human settlement, a common theme reflecting the Dutch relationship with their managed landscape. Works depicting specific locations, like views of The Hague or nearby castles, catered to local pride and the desire for recognizable scenes.
Unlike the dramatic Italianate landscapes favored by some contemporaries, Van der Croos focused on the familiar, local scenery. His paintings evoke a sense of peace and order, celebrating the beauty found in the everyday Dutch environment. The figures populating his scenes are typically small, serving to animate the landscape and provide scale rather than acting as primary subjects. They are often peasants, travelers, or boatmen, reinforcing the connection to rural life and commerce. This focus aligns with the broader Golden Age trend of celebrating the Republic's land, prosperity, and daily life.
Representative Works
While a comprehensive catalogue raisonné might be challenging to assemble due to the passage of time and dispersal of works, several paintings exemplify Anthony van der Croos's style and subject matter.
One notable example is Huis ter Nieuwburg, dated 1644. This painting, measuring approximately 24.5 x 30.5 cm and currently held in a private German collection, likely depicts the Huis ter Nieuwburg palace near Rijswijk, a residence associated with the Princes of Orange. Such depictions of stately homes within their landscape settings were popular among patrons.
Another significant work often attributed to him is View of The Hague from the North. This painting captures the city's skyline, prominently featuring the distinctive hexagonal tower of the Grote Kerk (Great Church of Saint James), set against a typically expansive Dutch sky. It showcases his skill in rendering recognizable urban landmarks within a broader atmospheric landscape, reflecting civic pride and the importance of The Hague.
A painting titled Dutch Fishing Boats in a Canal further illustrates his common themes, focusing on the waterways integral to Dutch life and commerce, rendered with his characteristic attention to light and atmosphere. His works often appear in auctions and private collections, with occasional examples found in museum inventories, though he is not as ubiquitously represented in major public galleries as some of his more famous contemporaries. The identification and attribution of his works continue, sometimes complicated by stylistic similarities to painters within Van Goyen's circle.
Contemporaries and the Artistic Milieu
Anthony van der Croos worked during a period teeming with artistic talent. Understanding his place requires acknowledging the rich tapestry of painters active alongside him. His most direct connection, Jan van Goyen, stands out. Van Goyen, along with Salomon van Ruysdael (c. 1602–1670), pioneered the "tonal phase" of Dutch landscape painting in the 1630s and 40s, characterized by near-monochromatic palettes and emphasis on atmosphere.
Other significant landscape painters whose careers overlapped with Van der Croos include Jacob van Ruisdael (c. 1628–1682), Salomon's nephew and arguably the greatest Dutch landscape painter of the era, known for his more dramatic and monumental scenes, often with powerful natural elements. Meindert Hobbema (1638–1709), Ruisdael's pupil, continued the tradition of detailed woodland scenes.
Aelbert Cuyp (1620–1691), working primarily in Dordrecht, became famous for his idyllic landscapes bathed in a warm, golden Italianate light, often featuring cattle. Philips Koninck (1619–1688), active in Amsterdam, specialized in expansive panoramic landscapes offering vast, bird's-eye views of the flat Dutch countryside.
Beyond pure landscape, the artistic world Van der Croos inhabited included masters of other genres. Frans Hals (c. 1582–1666) in Haarlem revolutionized portraiture with his lively brushwork. In Leiden and later Amsterdam, Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–1669) explored the depths of human psychology through portraits, historical scenes, and biblical narratives. Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675) in Delft created intimate genre scenes renowned for their mastery of light and composition.
Genre painters like Adriaen van Ostade (1610–1685) and his brother Isack van Ostade (1621–1649) depicted peasant life, taverns, and village fairs, often with humour or social commentary. Marine painting, another popular Dutch specialty, saw masters like Jan Porcellis (c. 1584–1632) and Simon de Vlieger (c. 1601–1653) capturing the Netherlands' relationship with the sea. Early pioneers of realistic landscape, like Esaias van de Velde (c. 1587–1630), had laid the groundwork for the generation of Van Goyen and Van der Croos. Figures like Pieter de Molijn (1595-1661) were also key contributors to the Haarlem landscape school. This vibrant ecosystem of artists, guilds, patrons, and dealers formed the backdrop against which Van der Croos pursued his career.
Later Life, Death, and Legacy
Anthony Jansz van der Croos continued to live and work in The Hague throughout the middle decades of the 17th century. His life appears to have been relatively uneventful, lacking the dramatic incidents or extensive documentation associated with some of his contemporaries. The historical record primarily remembers him through his artistic output and basic biographical data points like his Guild membership and property ownership.
Most reliable art historical sources place his death in The Hague in 1662 or possibly early 1663. His burial is recorded at the Kloosterkerk in The Hague on March 8, 1663. While some older sources occasionally mention a death date of 1665, the evidence supporting the earlier date is generally considered more robust.
In the grand narrative of art history, Anthony van der Croos is positioned as a competent and characteristic painter of the Dutch Golden Age landscape school. He successfully absorbed the influential tonal style popularized by Jan van Goyen and applied it to create pleasing and accurate depictions of his native environment. His works contributed to the enormous output of landscape paintings that satisfied the demands of the burgeoning Dutch art market.
He is not typically ranked among the great innovators or the most profoundly influential masters of the period. His paintings, while skillful and aesthetically pleasing, generally adhere to the established conventions of his time rather than breaking new ground in the manner of Jacob van Ruisdael or Rembrandt. However, his contribution should not be understated. He represents the solid bedrock of talent upon which the Golden Age's artistic reputation was built. His paintings offer valuable insights into the popular taste for landscape, the appearance of the 17th-century Dutch countryside and cityscape, and the pervasive influence of leading figures like Van Goyen.
His works continue to be appreciated by collectors and scholars for their charm, their skillful rendering of atmosphere, and their authentic representation of the Dutch Golden Age environment. They serve as a reminder that the era's artistic brilliance extended far beyond its most famous names, encompassing a wide array of talented individuals who collectively shaped one of the most remarkable chapters in the history of art.
Conclusion
Anthony Jansz van der Croos stands as a fine representative of the Dutch Golden Age landscape tradition. Born in Alkmaar and flourishing in The Hague, he navigated the vibrant art market of the 17th-century Netherlands, specializing in depictions of the local countryside and city views. Deeply influenced by his neighbor Jan van Goyen, Van der Croos mastered the tonal style, creating serene and atmospheric scenes that captured the unique character of the Dutch environment. While perhaps overshadowed in fame by the giants of the era, his work holds its own merit, reflecting the high level of skill and the specific aesthetic preferences prevalent during this extraordinary period of artistic production. His paintings remain a testament to the depth and breadth of talent within the Dutch Golden Age and offer a quiet, enduring charm to those who encounter them today.
