A wonderful street scene of a Dutch town by Cornelis Christian Dommersen. Two figures of a mother and daughter can be seen in the foreground walking down a busy market street, with sellers and their wares on either side. As other figures stop and chat behind them, a horse and cart tries to makes its way through the bustling crowd. In the distance the spire of a cathedral rises above the buildings.

Cornelis Christian Dommersen or Cornelis Christian Dommershuizen/Dommerhershuisen was born in Utrecht on 11 November, 1843 to Thomas Christian Dommershuizen and Cornelia Dammers. He was brought up into an artistic family by his mother who does not appear to have been married to his father at the time of his birth. His brother Pieter Cornelis Dommersen (1833-1918) was also an artist. His mother and other brother Thomas later became friends with Lawrence Alma-Tadema when he visited Holland. Although largely self-taught he would most likely have received tuition from his mother’s side of the family as well as his older brother Pieter.

Like his brother, Dommersen painted marine scenes as well as street scenes featuring important buildings or canals. In 1855, Cornelis and his brother Pieter moved to England where they decided to anglicise the family name to Dommersen. He lived with his brother in England at 18 Trinity Terrace, Brixton and by 1871 had moved to Hackney. They spent their time painting together and he would often accompany his brother on painting trips back to Holland as well as travelling to Belgium and France.

He began exhibiting in Amsterdam during the 1860’s and was also known to have exhibited in The Hague and Rotterdam. Sometime during 1870’s he moved back to Holland living in Amsterdam, whilst his brother remained in England. He continued to travel and on a visit to Belgium he met and married Henriette Jeanne Philippo.

At some point he moved to The Hague, possibly after the death of his first wife. On 26 May, 1904 at the age of 61 he married Carolina Maria Frederica Geus. Although married twice, there is no record of any children being born. Dommersen died at The Hague on 23 May, 1928. Examples of his work can be found at the Russell Cotes Art Gallery and Bournemouth Museum.

© Benton Fine Art