Berend Groeneveld (1866-1941)
Rue d'Odessa (Atelier André Lhote)
Oil on canvas
Signed lower right
45 x 37.5 cm
Frame: 54 x 46.5 cm
Provenance:
Private collection, Amsterdam
Private collection, Naarden
Additional Information:
Berend Groeneveld began his career as a trader in butter and cheese in Bedum. In his early forties, he decided to change course, to withdraw from the dairy world, and fully dedicate himself to painting. After moving to Amsterdam, he received instruction from both Martin Monnickendam and his mentor Simon Maris, becoming a respected member of Arti et Amicitiae. From 1929, Groeneveld spent every summer, from early June to mid-September, in the cultural capital of Europe: Paris.
Thanks to Simon Maris, Groeneveld became acquainted with Piet Mondrian, from whom he received painting lessons in the 1930s. This developed into a close friendship, with Groeneveld attending lessons every other week, culminating in culinary delights at one of their favorite restaurants. The former butter and cheese trader immersed himself in cultural life, meeting remarkable figures such as Ernest Hemingway and the painter Salvador Mundi.
Groeneveld's artistic focus was mainly on painting Parisian cityscapes, capturing strolling ladies and characteristic shop signs in a naïve style, playing with perspective and color. This painting offers a glimpse of Rue d'Odessa in Montparnasse. Around 1900, Montparnasse became the international center for avant-garde artists, succeeding the Montmartre district. A notable artist on this street was the world-renowned cubist and theorist André Lhote. At his art school, the Académie André Lhote at No. 18, he would teach and inspire hundreds of artists from around the world throughout his career. Groeneveld prominently painted Lhote's shop sign.