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| Matthias Maris (1839–1917) | ||||||||||
| Born at The Hague, Maris was a watercolourist, painter, etcher, lithographer, and draughtsman of the Hague School. His father, employed at a printing house, encouraged his three sons by bringing home lithographs and woodcuts for them to copy. At twelve, Maris failed to enter the Hague Academy of Art and instead apprenticed with Isaac Cornelis Elink Sterk, its secretary, but by 1852 he was admitted and studied there until 1855, also taking lessons from the marine painter Louis Meijer. He then moved to Antwerp, where exposure to German Romantic painting shaped his style; his early works, mainly portraits, were naturalistic and academic, marked by dark tonal ranges and strong contrasts of light. He also painted outdoors, producing cityscapes, markets, and church interiors. After graduating in 1858 he returned to The Hague, joined Pulchri Studio, painted models and royal portraits, and later worked in Oosterbeek on landscapes. Exhibitions in The Hague and Amsterdam brought little success, though in 1863 Maris became an honorary member of the Royal Belgian Society of Watercolorists. Moving to Paris in 1869, he produced outdoor scenes and portraits, but sales through dealers proved only modestly profitable. Persuaded by the Scottish dealer Daniel Cottier, he settled in London in 1877. Their professional relationship was strained, as Maris disliked commercial work, yet he continued to paint, producing portraits, brides, children, and animals. By 1888 he had broken with Cottier and pursued freer subjects such as forest scenes, castles, and fairy tales, though with limited output. His eyesight failed in 1906, ending his career, though his work had begun to earn him significant sums. He died in London, having lived simply despite his success, and is regarded as a forerunner of Symbolism for his belief that art should express dreams and ideals rather than copy outward reality. | ||||||||||
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Art