James Holland (1799-1870) was probably taught to paint by his mother who was a painter of flowers on porcelain at James Davenport’s pottery works in Staffordshire. He moved to London in 1819, where he initially earned a living as a pottery painter at one of the Deptford works. His early work also included paintings of flowers, one of which was his first work, in 1824, to be exhibited at the Royal Academy. From that time on he became a regular exhibitor at the Royal Academy, the Society of British Artists and the Society of Painters in Water Colours. Throughout his career Holland travelled extensively and became a notable landscape artist of scenes from countries such as the Netherlands, Italy (especially Venice), Portugal and Egypt.
This oil painting on canvas was first exhibited by Holland at the British Institute in 1837 under the title ‘Nimeguen, on the Rhine’. Nijmegen (modern spelling) is known as the oldest city in the Netherlands and was the Imperial residence of the Emperor Charlemagne in the eighth century. It is approximately 60 miles east of Rotterdam and is located on the River Waal, a branch of the River Rhine. It is likely that this painting is the view from the quay at Nijmegen looking northwards across the river towards Arnhem.
The painting is one of around 500 oil paintings, watercolours and drawings given to the V&A by the art collector John Sheepshanks in 1857.
Physical description
On the left of the image is a terrace of buildings of different shapes and sizes, the one on the end jutting out like a large semi-circular bay window. The terrace is set back from the quayside which is lined with people looking out over the water. At the far end of the quay is a circular building with a round, two-tiered, pitched roof. Three or more reasonably large boats are moored at the quayside. From the tree-lined shore on the opposite side of the river from the quay, a long wooden jetty extends out into the water. In the water in front of the end of the jetty is a boat with rope attached to it. The rope is strung out in a line over the water from this larger boat to three much smaller boats (small rowing boats) until it disappears off the lower right edge of the image. The whole scene is dominated by a large expanse of sky.
Place of Origin
Great Britain, UK (probably, painted)
Date
ca. 1837 (painted)
Artist/maker
James Holland, born 1799 - died 1870 (artist)
Materials and Techniques
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
Height: 33 cm estimate, Width: 49.7 cm estimate
Object history note
Given by John Sheepshanks, 1857
Descriptive line
Oil painting on canvas entitled 'Nijmegen' in the Netherlands, by James Holland. British School, ca. 1837.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Parkinson, R., Victoria and Albert Museum, Catalogue of British Oil Paintings 1820-1860, London: HMSO, 1990, p. 127
The following is the full text of the entry:
"HOLLAND, James, RWS, RBA (1799-1870)
Born Burslem, Staffordshire, 18 October 1799, of a family working at James Davenport's pottery works. Taught first by his mother, a painter of flowers on porcelain, then worked as a flower painter at Davenport's. Moved to London 1819, gradually turned to landscape painting. Exhibited 32 works at the RA between 1824 and 1865, 91 at the BI 1829-67, and 106 at the SBA 1828-48 (elected member 1842). Travelled abroad several times, in France, Holland, Switzerland, Portugal, and Italy; specialised later in views of Venice. Also painted extensively in watercolours; elected ARWS 1835, RWS 1857. Made drawings for periodical publications. Died London 12 February 1870; his studio sale was at Christie's 26 May 1870. There is an 1828 watercolour portrait of him by W H Hunt also in the V&A collections (451-1887; repr T S R Boase English Art 1800-1870 1959, pl 21b).
LIT: Athenaeum 19 February 1870, p267 (obit); Art Journal 1870, p104 (obit); H Stokes 'James Holland' Walker's Quarterly XXIII, 1927; R Davies 'James Holland' OWS VII, 1929-30, pp37-54; M Tonkin 'The Life of James Holland of the Old Society' OWS XLII, 1967, pp35-50
Nijmegen
FA80 Negs HHl124, HH3966, CT18999
Canvas, 33 x 49.7 cm (13 x 19 5/8 ins)
Sheepshanks Gift 1857
Holland exhibited 'Nijmegen, on the Rhine' at the BI in 1837 (321), the size given in the catalogue as 19 by 27 inches, presumably including the frame. The artist's first exhibited Dutch subject at the RA was 'Scene near the Hague: Sunset' in 1847; he also showed views in Rotterdam at the RA in 1849 and 1854. He is recorded as visiting Rotterdam in 1845. Nijmegen, some 60 miles east of Rotterdam, is on the River Waal, a branch of the Rhine, and there is a view from the quay northwards across the river towards Arnhem, which is presumably that depicted here. There is also a famous view of Nijmegen from the other side painted most notably by Salomon van Ruysdael in 1648 (De Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco; repr W Stechow 1966, pi 100)
There is a watercolour by Holland of Nijmegen in the V&A collections (FA47) also from the Sheepshanks Gift.
EXH: English Landscape Painters Phoenix Art Museum, Arizona 196112 (49)"
Materials
Oil paint; Canvas
Techniques
Oil painting
Subjects depicted
Buildings; Boats; River; People; Rhine; Quay; Nijmegen
Categories
Paintings
Collection code
PDP
