cremer, painter of the sea
Exhibitions
From 17 January to 7 April, Het Scheepvaartmuseum presents Cremer, painter of the sea, with seascapes by the painter and writer Jan Cremer.
Our first temporary exhibition includes thirty works produced by Cremer between 2005 and 2012. They are Cremer's memories of the seas he sailed. Half of these works have never been on show in the Netherlands before.
Cremer sculpts the sea in thick layers of paint with a unique expressionistic directness. One senses that he knows the sea very well: from Noordzee (North Sea) to Archangel, and from Sahara Storm to Cape Cod, the sea is different everywhere. It takes the hand of a master to show this.
Willem Bijleveld, director-general of Het Scheepvaartmuseum: "This is different than the paintings in our collection. There are no ships on Cremer’s canvasses, it's not about man using the sea for trade, fishing or defense. With Cremer, the sea is a very strong personality, and we have to seek a way to relate to her."
Jan Cremer: "My memories of the seas that I have seen are beautifully showcased at Het Scheepvaartmuseum. In this building that was once the Admiralty, my seascapes find a home."
The catalog accompanying the exhibition is for sale in our museum shop The Warehouse for 19.95 euros.