Ben Walrecht - Cityscape of Groningen - Sold

Cityscape of Groningen?

Ben Walrecht (1911-1980) was a multi-talented individual with a great passion for water. When his parents perished in a fire, young Ben Walrecht was placed with relatives in Amsterdam. He returned to his hometown of Groningen and completed his studies at the School of Applied Arts there. Together with a friend, he started an advertising agency. In addition, he painted. Artists came to his studio weekly to draw from live models.

Ben Walrecht came into contact with Groningen Expressionism at a De Ploeg exhibition in Pictura in 1934. In early 1936, Walrecht became a working member of De Ploeg, the artists' association in Groningen that advocated, among other things, for better exhibition opportunities for artists in the city. During that time, Walrecht primarily painted portraits, Groningen cityscapes, and landscapes in which water often played a role. Walrecht loved the freedom on the water. He bought a ship with which he crisscrossed the Netherlands during the summers, often in the company of other artists, including fellow De Ploeg member Johan Dijkstra. In the 1940s, Ben Walrecht spent a lot of time in Amsterdam, where the 'Catherina' was often moored at the Keizersgracht.

Walrecht is a versatile artist. Besides being a painter, Walrecht is a sculptor with a great love for various materials. In 1939, he won the Willink van Collen Prize, a national art prize awarded to painters under the age of 35. Johan Dijkstra is the only member of De Ploeg to also win this prize.
Groningen team.