Jan Sirks - Elevator in the Maashaven, Rotterdam 173-JS - Sold

Etching with historical harbour view by Jan Sirks from the Collection <Rijnmond Toen> no. 173-JS-129-ZT.
The etching shows a view of the Maashaven, Rotterdam, well before the Second World War; the time when the port of Rotterdam was still part of the city.
A "Must have" for those of us who know the port of Rotterdam .

The etching, with wide margins on laid paper, is offered loose-leaf. The etching is in excellent condition; the paper shows some light foxing. The work is hand-signed lr in pencil

Dimensions
Sheet 250 x 325 mm
Image 150 x 200 mm

Jan Sirks (Rotterdam, 23 February 1885 – Zeist, 11 March 1938)
Jan Sirks was a Dutch graphic artist, who devoted himself to painting, watercoloring, drawing and etching the ports of Rotterdam, animals, cityscapes and landscapes in a romantic realistic style. Sirks was co-founder of the Rotterdam artists' group "De Branding". Despite the fact that Sirks was self-taught, he was one of the few Rotterdammers who had a relatively good existence in the art world during that period.
A biography and overview of the work of Jan Sirks was published in 2004 by Mr. Aad Knops (ISBN 906 216 640 7 – NUR 642/646).
There is a website dedicated to him, thanks to the careful archival work of his wife, daughter and later granddaughter Yosay Briels, who also wrote an English-language biography about him “The Dutch Artist and His Muse”. (ISBN 978-1545151792)
There is no exact certainty about the size of Jan Sirks' work. Even if we limit ourselves to his etchings, the numbers vary. Where Mr Knops speaks of approximately 200 etchings, of which 198 are included in his overview, Mrs Briels' website speaks of over 300 works.
The website and Facebook page of Rijnmond Toen feature some 65 etchings by Jan Sirks that belong or have belonged to the collection, including the etching that is now on offer.