Siebe Johannes ten Cate: Dutch Impressionist and traveler in Paris
The Frisian painter Siebe Johannes ten Cate (1858–1908) led a fascinating, cosmopolitan life. Born in Sneek and trained at the Rijksakademie in The Hague and in Antwerp, he eventually settled permanently in Paris. There, he shared a studio with Kees van Dongen and exhibited his work alongside impressionist masters such as Monet, Pissarro and Sisley.
Ten Cate travelled extensively across Europe, from Scandinavia to Algeria, drawing inspiration from a wide range of landscapes and cultures. His dreamy, often mist-filled cityscapes — as if captured with a long exposure — reflect the contrast between the bustle of modern city life and a quiet stillness. As an early impressionist, he developed a distinctive and recognisable style that continues to set his work apart to this day.
Siebe Johannes ten Cate for Sale, Starlit Night by the Sea, 1901, oil on canvas, 37 x 51 cm. This impressionist nocturne by Siebe ten Cate stands out within his oeuvre due to its rare subject matter and distinctive technique: the original varnish layer contains real gold particles, lending the work a unique, radiant glow. The painting is included in the RKD Study and Catalogue Raisonné of the artist. Price upon request.
From Sneek to Paris: The International Artistic Life of Siebe ten Cate
The Frisian artist Siebe Johannes ten Cate (1858–1908) was born in Sneek. Orphaned at a young age, he was able to devote himself fully to painting thanks to family wealth. This led to formal training at the Rijksakademie in The Hague, followed by further studies in Antwerp. At the age of 22, he moved to Paris, where he settled permanently in the heart of the international art scene. Unlike many of his Dutch contemporaries who stayed only temporarily, his decision to remain in the French capital would prove defining for his career.
In Paris, he connected with leading artists and dealers. Through his friend Anthon van Rappard, he likely came into contact with Theo van Gogh, who supported him during his early years in the city. Ten Cate also met Vincent van Gogh, with whom he shared similarities in subject matter and materials. In Paris, he worked side by side with Kees van Dongen in the same studio and drew inspiration from fellow impressionists such as Camille Pissarro and Alfred Sisley. From the mid-1880s onward, he exhibited regularly at the Paris Salon and later at renowned galleries including Durand-Ruel, Bernheim-Jeune, Le Barc de Boutteville, and Georges Petit.
In 1889, Ten Cate received international recognition with a gold medal at the Exposition Universelle in Paris — awarded specifically for his pastels, the medium in which his artistic signature was most clearly expressed.
A Signature Style: Siebe ten Cate Between City and Nature
Siebe ten Cate’s work is marked by a consistent and subtle style in which light, weather, and atmosphere take center stage. His cityscapes — whether of London, Paris, Berlin or Dordrecht — exude a quiet stillness despite their suggestions of urban activity. As if captured with a long exposure, figures often appear as fleeting silhouettes in space. His landscapes — frequently riverbanks, forest edges, or mountain lakes — are serene and contemplative. In both genres, a misty, dreamlike atmosphere prevails, making his work instantly recognisable. With his poetic gaze, technical finesse, and his ability to capture both light and mood, Ten Cate earned high praise from his contemporaries.
As a painter of light and movement, Ten Cate deliberately chose pastel as his principal medium. It allowed him to combine speed and nuance, capturing the impression of a moment with soft contours, vivid pigments, and a direct touch that is both painterly and graphic. Pastel was gaining popularity at the time, partly thanks to artists such as Edgar Degas, whose works were also traded by Theo van Gogh. Within this context, Siebe ten Cate consciously positioned himself as a modern artist — not a follower, but a painter with a personal visual language within the Impressionist movement.
A Frisian Cosmopolitan: Between Paris and Europe
Although he lived and worked in Paris, Ten Cate was constantly on the move. He travelled extensively throughout Scandinavia, England, Germany, Spain, Belgium, North Africa, Switzerland, and many other countries. His subjects ranged from rainy quaysides in Portsmouth and busy shipping traffic on the Thames to the quiet woods near Zwolle and the nocturnal glow over Lake Lucerne.
In 1898, he undertook an influential journey to Switzerland, invited by the Swiss journalist, collector, and art dealer Otto Ackermann. During a months-long stay, he worked in Lucerne, Zurich, Aarburg, and Lindau, often accompanied by Ackermann. His pastels from this period depict views of Lake Lucerne, the Bürgenstock, the Kapellbrücke, the fortress in Aarburg, and other notable landmarks. The Swiss landscape struck him deeply: “What marvellous subjects I have found here,” he wrote to his friend Philip Zilcken. These Swiss works are among the most contemplative in his oeuvre — a synthesis of his thematic interest in nature and his technical mastery of pastel.
Rediscovery, Catalogue Raisonné, and Exhibitions
Although Siebe ten Cate fell into relative obscurity after his death in 1908 — he died of a brain haemorrhage in Paris at the age of fifty — appreciation for his work has grown significantly in recent decades. His paintings and pastels are now held in the collections of institutions such as the Rijksmuseum, the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, the Musée Carnavalet, and the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Châlons-en-Champagne. Several museums in Switzerland, England, and the Netherlands also own works by his hand. In 2012, the Fries Scheepvaart Museum in Sneek dedicated a retrospective exhibition to his oeuvre.
This renewed interest is supported by the Siebe ten Cate Foundation, which is committed to research and conservation, and by the RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History. In August 2025, the RKD published an in-depth RKD Study and catalogue raisonné, and is collaborating with the foundation on a forthcoming exhibition in both the Netherlands and France.
Works by Siebe ten Cate Available for Purchase
Bob Scholte Fine Art in Haarlem offers a carefully curated selection of original works by Siebe Johannes ten Cate, including pastels, paintings, and drawings. Please contact us for more information or to arrange a viewing. For more information, I refer you to the RKD Study of Siebe ten Cate.
