Willem Koekkoek (1839 – 1895)

Willem Koekkoek was born in Amsterdam in 13th January 1839 and died in the neighbouring town of Nieuwer-Amstel on 29th January 1895.

He was a pupil of his Father, Hermanus Koekkoek Snr. and a member of this very famous Dutch 19th Century painting family, of whom there were over twenty members, spanning three generations.

Willem Koekkoek was one of the most easily identifiable individual members of this family, in so much that he specialised particularly in painting street scenes throughout Holland and characterised Dutch urban life throughout this period, painting both summer and winter scenes.  He also occasionally painted in watercolour but was particularly successful in the medium oil.

His figures were almost at times cartoon like or Breughelesque, but he had a keen observation for fine detail in his architecture and soft tonal colourings contrasted with subtle lighting often on water in his canal scenes.

In 1878 he was painting in the Hague and near Utrecht.

From 1880 he lived in Amsterdam, moving to Nieuwer-Amstel in 1885 and he spent many periods from 1888 onwards in London, England where he built up as wider a reputation in his latter years as he had in Holland.

His paintings are in museums throughout Holland and there is an example of his in the Museum of Montreal.

Click here for the Koekkoek Family Tree