Notes

"In 1912 Tinus was commissioned to paint a number of pictures for the Royal Ancient Society and Borough Archives of Amsterdam. These works comprised a large number of scenes of the old city centre with the purpose of preserving and recording various disappearing landmarks and these are still in the Beeldarchief in Amsterdam.

There were canals which were destined to be filled in and the famous monument, the 'Naatje op de Dam' was scheduled to be dismantled prior to the rebuilding of the Dam Square which was renovated and re-opened on 7 April 1914.

A great honour was conferred upon Tinus when, he says, 'Permission was given to me by Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands (Wilhelmina) to work in her palace for three months'. The paintings, as a result of this work, were bought by the Amsterdam Museum.

Although there is no evidence that Tinus lived at the Palace, permission was granted to paint from the windows on 24 February 1912. All members of the De Jongh family confirmed that their father took up residence in the Palace for three months and, as his uncle was gynaecologist to the Queen, an unofficial concession may have been made."¹

^1. Pat Weckesser in association with the De Jongh Family (2013) Tinus de Jongh: His life and works, Cape Town: MJ de Jongh, pages 28 and 29.

Provenance

Strauss & Co, Cape Town, 6 March 2017, lot 494.

Literature

Pat Weckesser in association with the De Jongh Family (2013) Tinus de Jongh: His life and works, Cape Town: MJ de Jongh, a similar etching of this subject is illustrated with the title De Dam in 1912 from inside the Royal Palace.