Louis Willem van Soest (1867-1948)

Poerworedjo, Ned. Indi_ 1867 - 1948 The Hague The painter Louis van Soest lived and worked in Amsterdam, Aachen, Rozendaal near Arnhem, The Hague, Laag Soeren, Dieren, Velp and Wassenaar. He stayed for a long time in Paris and Wiesbaden. Van Soest initially studied chemistry in Aachen, but from 1891 he devoted himself entirely to art. Formed itself. Painted watercolors, drew and etched in an impressionistic style, woody landscapes, especially many winter views. Already during his school years and especially during holidays, Louis van Soest practiced drawing with love. His parents, to whom he sent many drawings, had also noticed this. Not long after, he became the pride of the family when he sent his first paintings to the Indies. His great veneration for the grand masters of the Hague School made him gravitate towards the same motifs, such as a Gooi landscape with hundreds of sheep clouds and a moving cart, all still very elaborately, accurately and unaffected. In 1891 he settled in The Hague, where his talent is recognized by the greats and recorded as a working member of Pulchri Studio. He was not only in their ranks, but also in domestic intercourse with the Marissen. He goes into the field with JH Weissenbruch, the insatiable outdoor painter, among others. He experiences the last flowering of Dutch Impressionism and he sees how "Masters' toil at their work. He learns from it and undergoes their influence. He paints every day, season and mood and forms his own vision and conception.Louis van Soest was a great figure in the art world in The Hague in his day. He held various board positions within the Hollandsche Drawing Society and the Haagse Kunstkring. Van Soest was regularly invited to Paleis Het Loo as teacher of Princess Wilhelmina. In 1926, Van Soest was appointed member of the jury for the Committee for the Royal Subsidy.At that time, this fund still provided an allowance with which promising young artists could work carefree for a while.Eight years later, he joined the board and was given the position of secretary- In all probability Johan Hendrik van Mastenbroek also took a seat on the jury of the Royal Subsidy on the intercession of Van Soest. Board members in that period included Louis Apol, Willy Sluiter and Piet van der Hem. In 1892, when his parents were staying in Laag Soeren, he discovered the beautiful surroundings, so rich in natural beauty that he stayed there until 1897. The calm mood and the silence in the landscape strongly attract him and there are many paintings that remind him of this. His winter landscapes are especially admired. Occasionally he paints an impression full of light and sun, such as his views of the Zuiderzee ports, including Volendam. He received several awards, including the gold medal of Amsterdam. He taught, among others, to Queen Wilhelmina. The work of Louis van Soest is included in the collection of; the Boymans-van Beuningen museum in Rotterdam, the Arnhem municipal museum and the Haags Gemeente museum.Info: Scheen, Benezit