At Scheveningen

At Scheveningen (1876) by Anton Mauve, now in the collection of The Mesdag Collection, exploits the dramatic lighting conditions of a specific time of day, a subject that became increasingly central to Impressionist and Tonalist painters' investigation of atmospheric light. Anton Mauve was one of the finest painters of the Hague School, celebrated across Europe for his atmospheric sheep pastorals and coastal views. His mastery of gray-toned naturalism — the particular quality of Dutch atmospheric light under overcast skies — placed him at the center of the Hague School's achievement.

Mauve achieved a distinctive silvery tonalism through delicate, closely related tones of gray, lilac, and soft green applied with precise, controlled strokes. His sheep and coastal scenes are bathed in a pervasive, even outdoor light that has no dramatic contrasts.