Jan Hermanus Koekkoek (1775 – 1851)

This artist was the father of one of the greatest painting families. Like the Bach family it spread over several generations beginning with J H Koekkoek who was born at Veere on the 17th August 1778 and lasted into the 20th Century. Unlike the Bach family which is particularly renowned for its founder
J S Bach, the Koekkoek family of painters were all people of considerable talent and have become almost equally important historically for their subjects and period.

J H Koekkoek was a marine painter of considerable expertise. He became a member of the Academy of Amsterdam having studied at Middlebourg. His brushwork is always beautifully executed and typical of the finest of late 18th Century artists, expressed in soft and gentle colours. In his spare time he was a naturalist and he considered that from looking at nature he acquired the accuracy of his art. From his work we can deduce that this is true as his observation of the small details which he painted into a subject often produced a near perfect balance and harmony.

In 1803 Johannes Hermanus Koekkoek married Anna Koolwyk. They had four children, Hermanus Koekkoek, Johannes Koekkoek, Marius Adrianus Koekkoek and Barend Cornelius Koekkoek, all of whom he taught and influenced. He also taught J C Haccon, L C Haccon and C Kimmel and having successfully exhibited during his life he died in Amsterdam on the 9th January 1851.

J H Koekkoek's work is represented in many private collections and museums all over the world including Bristol, Hamburg, Munich, Norwich, Boymans, Rotterdam and many others in Holland.

Click here for the Koekkoek Family Tree