TEN KATE, JOHANNES MARIUS (1859-1896)

“Sermon” (c.1880)
Oil on canvas
89 x 49cm
Signed lower right
*private collection, Sydney
 
Ten Kate was an influential Dutch Genre Painter. He was born into a family of artists. His father, J.M.H. 'Mari' Ten Kate was a prolific and respected genre painter best known for his depiction of children. His cousin H.F.C Ten Kate was also a well known Romantic genre painter. He studied with both, who taught him traditional Dutch Genre painting and technique. Johannes was a member of Pulchri Studio, an art society in The Hague. The Pulchri Studio was responsible for training and nurturing the most famous Dutch 19th Century Genre & Plein Air painters, including Jozef Israels, George Hendrik Breitner, Jacob Maris, Bernard Bloomers, Willem Roelofs, Anton Mauve, to name a few. He painted beach scenes, landscapes and genre scenes in a Romantic-Impressionistic style. He exhibited at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, but died prematurely at the age of only 37. As such, his output is much smaller than his father, and consequently his works are considered far more rare and sought after. His works are represented in several major International Collections, including the Hungarian National Gallery and the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague. This work is one of a series of church interiors he painted during the late 19th century. A similar work, less than half the size of this piece, sold for over $AU15k at Sotheby's Amsterdam in 1999.