Willem Johannes Schutz

(Middelburg (Zeeland) 1854-1933)

Maritime art is an inexhaustible source of inspiration. The fascination for the space and the tranquility of the sea is a recurring theme in art history. Willem Johannes Schütz (Middelburg 1854-1933), together with his father Jan Frederik Schütz (Middelburg 1817-1888), is one of the most important marine painters in Zeeland, the Netherlands. Willem's choice of subject was often the same as his father's, mainly seascapes and activities on the waterfront.

However, there are differences. For example, the use of color in Willem's early work is somewhat darker and grayer and brush strokes are looser. Willem seems to pay a lot of attention to the atmosphere and the light in his work. It is not without reason that his work is often compared to his Hague colleague Mesdag (Groningen 1831-1915 The Hague). While Mesdag painted a lot in Scheveningen, Walcheren was the ideal environment for Schütz. "Skies like here in Zeeland cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. That nice soft mistiness. I believe that people have to be born and raised in Zeeland in order to appreciate that whole, "said the artist.

Boats drifted in and out just in front of his house at Korendijk 44 in Middelburg. Willem regularly went out with his father to make studies on the beach, at the harbor or on the skies. There are few figures in his work and if they are present, they are subordinate to the subject. From 1889 Willem gained national fame through his membership in the Pulchri Studio and Arti and Amicitea. He often exhibited at home and abroad together with other members of the associations. The reviews were positive. The critic Antonie van Loffelt (1841-1906) wrote in Het Vaderland in 1895: "There is a poetic mood in Schütz". After 1910 his palette suddenly became a lot lighter under the influence of Luminism. Since 1906, Schütz had already become acquainted with the group of painters who worked in Domburg. Under the leadership of Jan Toorop, the driving force behind the group, Willem also joined Sint Lucas in Amsterdam. Unlike many other artists, the fame that Willem gained due to the exhibitions was not of vital importance. The artist worked as an accountant for several days a week and was able to maintain himself well and to afford to keep his prices high. After his death, a large honorary exhibition was organized in the museum in Middelburg in 1933.