Picking flowers in the dunes

In his paintings Johannes Akkeringa focused on the daily, agreeable aspects of life. The present lot epitomizes his oeuvre: he often painted children playing on the beach or in the dunes, tea parties in the garden or colourful flower still lives. Akkeringa, born in 1861 in the Dutch Indies, moved to The Hague in 1865 following the death of his father. As a young boy he was passionate about drawing and painting and started to attend the evening classes of The Hague Academy, where he was taught alongside Marius Bauer (1867-1932), Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof (1866-1924), Floris Verster (1861-1927) and Willem de Zwart (1862-1931). The latter proved to be a great influence on Akkeringa, both in style as in subject matter. From 1889 onwards, Akkeringa exhibited his paintings at Pulchri Studio, and two years later he co-founded the Haagsche Kunstkring, an initiative to stimulate the arts, be it visual arts, literature or theatre.

Akkeringa wanted to create a realistic landscape, with overall atmosphere as the most significant element. He often turned to the beach of Scheveningen, portraying net menders in the dunes and fisher- folk on the beach. The present lot also demonstrates his affection for children and his dedication to agreeable subjects, with two little girls picking flowers in the dunes. It is a lovely composition: the sweet girls are wearing their best dresses and ribbons in their hair, totally absorbed in their activity. The use of saturated colours and swift brushstrokes heightens the sense of a warm summer afternoon.