Wijnand Nuijen: Master of the Romantic Style

Discover the stormy oeuvre of a precocious talent! Wijnandus Johannes Josephus Nuijen (The Hague, 1813 – 1839) was a Dutch painter and etcher, specializing in landscapes, whose short but intense career earned him the title Master of the Romantic Style.

Already at the age of twelve, he apprenticed with the renowned landscape painter Andreas Schelfhout. Soon after, he demonstrated his early talent with an impressive oil sketch about the 1825 flood disaster, a work that would even be purchased by his teacher Schelfhout after Nuijen's premature death.

A Romantic Pioneer

Nuijen was strongly influenced by the French Romantics. Together with his friend Antonie Waldorp, he traveled to Germany and the northern French coast, and visited the Paris Salon. It was here he first saw the dramatic paintings of Eugène Isabey, John Constable, and Richard Parkes Bonington – works full of wild shipwrecks, stormy coasts, and dreamy Norman harbors, painted with powerful contrasts.

He adopted the spontaneity and the fantastic, poetic style of these artists, which gave him a unique position in the Netherlands. His works broke through the strict genre divisions of 19th-century Dutch art, as they often combined landscape and history or landscape and drama.

Admired by the King

Despite criticism from contemporaries who accused him of being too 'overwhelming' and focusing too much on 'effect' , appreciation for Nuijen's work grew. In 1836, he became a member of the Royal Academy in Amsterdam.

King William II was a great admirer and owned no less than five of his paintings, including his most famous work, Shipwreck on a Rocky Coast.

Nuijen continued to work with feverish intensity on paintings, drawings, and illustrations until his final days, despite his illness. This visionary painter died at only 26 years old, but he left behind a body of work that forever shifted the boundaries of Dutch Romanticism.

Experience

Lose yourself in the storms and ruins of Wijnand Nuijen. Visit the collection and experience the dramatic power of his art.

Why you absolutely must see Wijnand Nuijen's works in person

An image on a screen or in a book is a wonderful aid, but it simply cannot compare to the experience of viewing a painting in real life.

Wijnand Nuijen's canvases are an excellent example of this. Only in the museum can you truly experience the rich texture of his brushwork, the layered technique, and the sublime way he captured light and atmosphere. The depth and vibrancy of his landscapes and cityscapes only fully come into their own when you can admire them up close. It is a completely different experience that reveals the essence of his mastery.

Fortunately, Nuijen's paintings can be seen in many prominent places across the Netherlands. You can discover his magnificent works in the permanent collections of leading institutions such as the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam and the Dordrechts Museum.

For an extra special opportunity to see three of Nuijen's works, we invite you to visit the exhibition 'Licht, lucht, water - de schilders van Den Haag' at Panorama Mesdag in The Hague, starting October 4th.

Share your discoveries and bring Wijnand Nuijen to life!

Do you have unique information, stories, or perhaps even unknown images of Wijnand Nuijen? We are building this website with great passion, but your help is invaluable. Every detail can add a piece to the puzzle of this master's fascinating life and work.

We cordially invite you to contact us and share your contribution!

You can email your discoveries to: mail@wijnandnuijen.com

Become a 'Friend of Wijnand Nuijen'

The realization of this website and the ongoing research is a costly undertaking. Should you wish to financially support our project, we are certainly open to that. As a token of our appreciation, we would be pleased to mention our sponsors and donors as 'Friends of Wijnand Nuijen'. Please contact us via the email address above to discuss the possibilities.

Thank you!

On behalf of the initiator, Rob Nuijen, thank you very much for your interest!