catalog text
HENDRIK MARTINUS FREDERIK GEORGE SAVRY
Netherlands, 1823-1907
Pastoral Landscape of Cow along a Canal
Oil on canvas | signed "H. Savry f" lower left
Item # 902GPP19Z
A vibrant work depicting the rural countryside just beyond the city limits in the Netherlands where a solitary cow walks along the partially fenced meadow edging a small canal waterway before the thatched-roof barn and home while a man leads his rowboat down the canal by rope. The city spires pierce the horizon in the distance while the red roofs on the edge of town fade into the foliage and dense atmosphere. The sky is heavy with mottled cloud cover hiding the sun while the high-chroma palette of the grasses showcases the plush fullness of spring; the calm waters reflect the chaotic clouds overhead with bleary reflections of the nearby trees and grasses throughout. Signed in his typical script in the lower left corner "H. Savry f.".
Savry's paintings are quite rare and hard to come by and this example is a wonderful find on open market. It is priced competitively to hopefully account for the restoration the painting has seen over the years. Notwithstanding the notes below, the painting presents beautifully and is ready to place.
HENDRIK SAVRIJ (ALSO KNOWN AS HENDRIK SAVRY)
Hendrik Martinus Frederik George Savry, born in 1823 near Amsterdam in Haarlem, Holland, was the progeny and protégé of still-life artist Marinus Savrij. His artistic lineage also included his sister Cornelia Johanna, a fellow painter, and his son Henri M. Savrij (Dutch, 1871/72-1942), who gained acclaim for his landscape and cattle paintings.
Known as Hendrik Savry or Savrij, he gained fame for his depiction of Dutch pastoral landscapes, evoking the styles of 17th-century masters such as Albert Cuyp and Paulus Potter. He was a contemporary of renowned Hague artists Pieter Stortenbeker and Jan de Haas.
Savry's expertise lay in capturing pastoral scenes, often portraying cattle and farmers in sunlit meadows, complete with meandering streams that added a touch of nostalgia. His work was highly sought after by collectors of his era, contributing to a prolific career that lasted until his death in Haarlem in 1907.
His legacy lives on in several prestigious collections, including his "Landscape with Livestock" at The Art Galleries of Montreal and "Cattle in a Meadow" at The Gemeentemus in The Hague, among others.
Artist Listings & Bibliography:
- E. Benezit Dictionary of Artists, Vol. XII, Gründ, 2006, p. 492
Measurements: 24" H x 32" W [canvas]; 30 1/8" H x 37 7/8" W [frame]
Condition Report:
Restored several times over the years; presents with moderate-to-heavy craquelure throughout with an ever-so-slight surface ripple that was mostly resolved when it was relined [perhaps 30 years ago] on a linen blend fabric and BEVA film over contemporary stretchers. Our conservator cleaned the surface, removing overpaint and discolored varnish both chemically and mechanically, noting that some of the grime has cross-linked with the underlying oil layer; flaking and unstable gesso were consolidated with heat, pressure and adhesive; preliminary varnish applied, losses filled and inpainted, final varnish layer applied [traditional damar]; inpainting present throughout the sky [one notable spot to the left of the tip of the largest tree in the sky], along the extreme edges and a few specks throughout the lower half: view images under UV for a more comprehensive sense of surface restoration. Some inpainting, particularly in the sky, has a slight yellowing versus the original paint colors, making many of these touchups visible to the careful eye. Current frame is modern and is slightly too large for the painting and should be perhaps 1/16 or 1/8" tighter around the margins, but does a nice job of housing the painting until the buyer has it hung in a more appropriate frame.