Evert Moll (1878-1955)

1878-1955 Evert Moll lived and worked between 1895 and 1930 in Voorburg, London, Paris, The Hague, and Rotterdam. He subsequently settled in The Hague. There he received advice from Willen Maris and further formed himself. He worked extensively for art dealers in the United States and Canada. Painted landscapes, but especially river, sea and harbor views and in his last years also still lifes. Work by Evert Moll can be found in the National Collection, the Zuiderzee Museum and the Boymans-van Beuningen museum. Evert Moll was not a sky stormer and not an artist with an insatiable urge to innovate. New developments apparently passed him by unnoticed. He remained true to himself and to the principles of the Hague School. Evert Moll is best known for his more than a thousand harbor views. Not much is known about this painter. Well, that he liked and often spent time in the port of Rotterdam. The ins and outs of a harbour, the bustle and slowness of the colossal sea-going vessels fascinated him immensely. He loved the smell of the water, the fuel oil, and the wind. Evert Moll was more than a painter of harbor views. More than half of his total oeuvre consists of landscapes, cityscapes and flower still lifes. Even when Moll painted landscapes and cityscapes, he couldn't resist painting a lot of water. Many of his landscapes are painted from or overlooking the water. Evert Moll, born in Voorburg and living practically all his life in a wide circle between The Hague and Rotterdam, is self-taught. From an early age he has been friends with Albert Roelofs, the son of the famous Hague School painter Willem Roelofs. In the Roelofs house he came into contact with artists who determined the art climate in the Netherlands around the turn of the century. Moll could initially afford to paint what he wanted. He leads a relatively carefree life, until his father is declared bankrupt in 1908. Then it is hard work to provide for his livelihood. The fact that Moll remained faithful to the principles of the Hague School all his life does not mean that he did not develop. As he grew older, his initial sober use of color and broad brushstrokes gave way to richer and more varied colors and a finer brushstroke. Moll mainly painted outdoors. He sat on the water's edge with his folding chair and the paper in his lap. Many of his works are of the same size: 19 by 31 centimetres. This is exactly the size of his painting box, which he used as a 'coaster'. These panels often served as examples for the larger works that were created in his studio. Source ; rkd