Born in Amsterdam in 1813, Abraham Hulk, Sr. was the most prominent member of a family of painters, which included his brother John Frederick Hulk (1829-1911), a painter of landscapes and town scenes, and his son Abraham Hulk Jr, who lived most of his life in England and painted landscapes predominantly in Southern England.
Hulk studied under the portrait painter Jean-Augustin Daiwaille (1786-1856) at the Amsterdam Academy. In 1833-1834 he visited North America before returning to Holland, living in Amsterdam, Nijkerk, Enkhuizen, Haarlem and Oosterbeek. It was during this period that he became an established painter of marine subjects and began to exhibit his work regularly. In 1870 Hulk settled in London, where he remained for the rest of his life.
Hulk’s skill at depicting atmosphere at sea mirrored that of the many artists of the Dutch Romantic School. Influenced by the Dutch artists of the 17th century, the Romantic painters excelled at scenes of everyday life combining technical skill and attention to detail with a strong sensitivity to nature. These paintings were avidly sought after by the new middle class collectors of the 19th century, and are widely collected. Hulk was equally skilful in painting a stormy sea with dark clouds as he was with calm harbour scenes.
Exhibited
Amsterdam, The Hague, Leeuwarden (1843-1868)
Royal Academy (1876-1890)
Museums
Museum of Sunderland
Amsterdam Historical Museum
Teylers Museum, Haarlem
Zuiderzeemuseum, Enkhuizen
Gemeente-Archief, Dordrecht |
