Bij de brug, Rotterdam (By the Bridge) (1899)Signed and dated 99 lower rightTitled on the reverseOil on canvas, 51.4 x 75.9 cmProvenance:- Estate of Dante Guazzo, North Carolina- Private collection, USA- Brunk Auctions, North Carolina, USA- Private collection, ScotlandNote:Johan Hendrik van Mastenbroek was born in 1875 in Rotterdam and is known as the Impressionist of the New Time. He primarily painted atmospheric pictures of the Rotterdam harbour and his collected works document the technical progress and the rapidly increasing activity in the Rotterdam port.In order to capture the beauty of the alternating skies and colours the artist preferably sketched outside during rain and snow, as he wrote in 1945: "I could enjoy the wonderful formation of clouds and the rich colours that arose from the battle between the sun and clouds." Images full of mist and steam, set off by accents of warm grey tones and earthy colours, heighten the sense of atmosphere in this painting. The foreground of this present lot shows people on ships and crossing the bridge. His works are a remarkably accurate depiction of the busy daily activities of the harbour and it documents the great technical progress and the rapidly increasing activity in Rotterdam.* Condition report available upon request