Anton Mauve - Morning Ride [1876]

Anton Mauve - Morning Ride [1876], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

A group of horses descend at a leisurely pace from the dunes to the beach. It is a summer's day, around noon: the sun is high and shadows are short. Well-to-do, well-dressed equestrians are taking a relaxing ride on the beach at Scheveningen, a popular coastal resort of the day. At the foot of the dune are a number of bathing huts. These riding horses are an unusual feature in a piece by Anton Mauve. He normally painted workhorses and animals in their natural environment. He was particularly famous for his landscapes with sheep.

Antonij (Anton) Mauve was born in Zaandam, Netherlands in 1838 and died in 1888. [Oil on canvas, 45 x 70 cm]