Scheveningen Fisherman

1932

Not on view

Willem van den Berg was an influential figure in Dutch academic circles of the 1930s and 40s. He is best known today for his portraits of fisherfolk from the port towns of Scheveningen and Volendam. While this work is a portrait of a specific individual, the monumentality of the figure and pathos of his expression suggest that he also serves as a stand-in for a significant character in the Dutch cultural imaginary—the stoic, hardworking laborer extracting their livelihood directly from the sea or land. Created in the lead up to World War II, van den Berg’s portraits represent the longing for a return to a pre-industrial order, unthreatened by advances in modern technology and the accompanying social, cultural, and political changes they set in motion.

Artwork Details

Title: Scheveningen Fisherman
Artist: Willem van den Berg (Dutch, The Hague 1886–1970 Amsterdam)
Date: 1932
Medium: Black and brown fabricated chalk on paper
Dimensions: 48 1/2 × 38 3/4 in. (123.2 × 98.4 cm)
Classification: Drawings
Credit Line: Purchase, Anonymous Gift, in honor of Max Hollein, 2024
Object Number: 2024.486
Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

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1991

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1791

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