Lot 173: Eduard Karsen (Dutch, 1860-1941)

Prinsengracht, Amsterdam signed 'Ed.Karsen.' (lower right) oil on canvas 46 x 55 cm. PROVENANCE Kunsthandel Huinck & Scherjon N.V., Amsterdam, no. 1127, as: Prinsengracht. LITERATURE A.M. Hammacher, Eduard Karsen en zijn vader Kaspar, The Hague, 1962, no. 23, ill.. EXHIBITION Amsterdam, Frederik Muller & Co., Eduard Karsen, September 1922, no. 55, as: Amsterdam. NOTES Eduard Karsen belonged to the group of painters and writers from Amsterdam, who propagated the 'L'art pour l'art' ideal at the end of the nineteenth century. Within this cultural elite, also known as the Tachtigers, Karsen took up a singular position. In contrast to his fellow artists such as I. Israels and G.H. Breitner, who were inspired by the dynamic character of Amsterdam, Karsen rendered his city views with a dark and subdued palet, which is shown in the present lot. Most of his works were created between 1888-1891. After the death of Karsen's father in 1896 he moved in with his mother and led a reclusive existence. In 1905 Karsen stopped painting and left behind a modest oeuvre of around 100 paintings.