Marie Henri Mackenzie (1878-1961) - Schip in de gracht van Amsterdam

This winter Amsterdam cityscape, ‘Ship in the canal in Amsterdam’, was painted by Marie Henri Mackenzie (1878–1961). In the foreground a cargo ship lies beside a snowy quay, behind it a closed façade of Amsterdam houses. A nearly centrally placed, bare tree cuts through the composition vertically; its gnarled branches stand out against the subdued winter air and connect foreground and background. Mackenzie works with a predominantly restrained palette of gray, brown, dark green and ocher. The rust-brown hull of the ship forms the main color accent. Snow on the quay, ship and rooftops is indicated with light, paste-like strokes. The architecture is not elaborated in detail, but built up from broad color fields and loose brushstrokes. This creates an atmospheric urban scene in which ship, quay and façade wall stand opposite each other as large painterly masses. Oil on panel, signed bottom right. Dimensions about 30 × 40 cm; with frame about 45 × 56 cm. On the reverse side there is an old label listing the artist, title and dimensions. Artist biography Marie Henri Mackenzie (Rotterdam 1878–Hilversum 1961) was a Dutch painter best known for his city and harbor views. He studied at the Rotterdam Art Academy and later took lessons from George Hendrik Breitner, whose loose, impressionistic painting style clearly influenced his development. Mackenzie focused particularly on urban Amsterdam: canals, façades, construction activity and daily life in the city recur frequently in his oeuvre. His paintings are characterized by a spontaneous brushwork, simplified forms, and a palette ranging from dark earth tones to stronger color contrasts. He was a member of the artists’ association Sint Lucas in Amsterdam. In 2009 a monograph devoted to Mackenzie’s oeuvre—Marie Henri Mackenzie 1878–1961: From Canal House to Wall House—was published; his works are also included in Dutch museum collections.

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