Hut among Trees
Meindert Hobbema·c. 1664
Historical Context
Hobbema's Hut among Trees from around 1664 shows his ability to find beauty in the humblest subjects — a thatched peasant dwelling embedded in the overhanding foliage of old trees. The cottage or hut among trees was one of Hobbema's most characteristic compositions, combining the social observation of rural dwelling with his primary interest in the play of light through leaf canopies above and around the simple structures. His treatment of thatched roofs — the rough texture of the straw catching light differently from the smooth plaster walls below — was among his most admired technical achievements, the humble material given visual dignity through sustained observation.
Technical Analysis
Hobbema renders the hut with precise architectural detail while surrounding it with individually characterized trees. The warm palette and luminous sky create his signature sunny atmosphere, with filtered light creating dappled patterns on the ground. The careful balance of detail and atmosphere demonstrates Hobbema's mature technique.
Provenance
Probably Hugh Hammersley [1774-1840]; (his estate sale, Alexander Rainy, London, 21 August 1841, no. 57); (Charles J. Nieuwenhuys, Brussels and London).[1] William Bingham Baring, 2nd baron Ashburton [1799-1864], Grange Park, Hampshire, by 1854;[2] by inheritance to his brother, Francis Baring, 3rd baron Ashburton [1800-1868], Grange Park; by inheritance to his son, Alexander Hugh Baring, 4th baron Ashburton [1835-1889], Grange Park; by inheritance to his son, Francis Denzil Edward Baring, 5th baron Ashburton [1866-1938], Grange Park; jointly purchased 1907 by (Thos. Agnew & Sons, Ltd., Arthur J. Sulley & Co., and Charles J. Wertheimer, all in London); sold 1909 by (Arthur J. Sulley & Co.) to Peter A.B. Widener, Lynnewood Hall, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania; inheritance from Estate of Peter A.B. Widener by gift through power of appointment of Joseph E. Widener, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania; gift 1942 to NGA. [1] The name is cited as "H. Hammersley" in John Smith, _A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of the Most Eminent Dutch, Flemish and French Painters_, 9 vols., London, 1829-1842: 9:729; and Cornelis Hofstede de Groot, _A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of the Most Eminent Dutch Painters of the Seventeenth Century_, 8 vols., trans. by Edward G. Hawke, London, 1907-1927: 4:433. Although the title page of the sale catalogue does not provide the seller(s) name(s), The Getty Provenance Index Databases record for Sale Catalogue BR-15070 indicates the sellers as Skammers and Hammersley. The sale is listed in Frits Lugt, _Répertoire des catalogues de ventes_, 4 vols., The Hague, 1938: 2:no. 16295, where the seller is given as Skammers. Hammersley (sometimes spelled Hamersley) was a member of a prominent banking family in London. The annotated copy of the sale catalogue held by the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie, The Hague, provides the buyer's name. [2] Lady Marian Jervis-White-Jervis, _Painting and Celebrated Painters, Ancient and Modern_, 2 vols., London, 1854, 2:344. The painting is not listed in Gustav Friedrich Waagen, _Works of Art and Artists in England_, 3 vols., London, 1838, or Gustav Friedrich Waagen, _Treasures of Art in Great Britain: being an account of the Chief Collection of Paintings, Drawings, Sculptures, and Illuminated Mss._, 3 vols., London, 1854-1857.
