JOHANNES CHRISTIAAN SCHOTEL

 SHIPPING OFF A COAST (MODELLO)

J.C. Schotel often drew modellos of his paintings to give his clients an idea about an intended painting. He often made them one on one. The first large-scale designs would be executed in black chalk, like the drawing on verso of this modello. Later he would work out the composition in ink and wash or watercolour. The sheets are generally quite large and can be regarded as artworks in their own right. These modellos were much appreciated by collectors, like the Amsterdam banker Carel Joseph Fodor (1801-1860), who left his collection to the city of Amsterdam.

J.C. Schotel made a few modellos for a painting to show his clients, see no. 55-57 of the exhibition catalogue of Een onsterfelijk zeeschilder J.C. Schotel 1787 – 1838, in the Dortdrecht Museum. The client finally selected from these preliminary studies on paper no. 55 and 57 to be executed as a painting. Another example of a preliminary study after which the painting was made is no. 53 (Rob Kattenburg Collection) and no. 83 (formerly Rob Kattenburg Collection).

The clients of J.C. Schotel consisted of royal houses, institutions, art dealers, and very prominent and private collectors at home and abroad such as:

Tsar Nicolas I Pavlovitsj Romanov, Emperor of Russia, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Finland; Anna Paulowna Oranje- Nassau, Grand Duchess of Russia; Frederik Willem III, King of Prussia; Willem Frederik I van Oranje Nassau, King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg; Frederika Louise Wilhelmina Oranje- Nassau, princess of Prussia, spouse of King Willem I of the Netherlands; Willem II Frederik George Lodewijk van Oranje Nassau, Prince of Orange, King of the Netherlands.

La Société Royale pour l’encouragement des beaux-arts, a Bruxelles; Teylers Genootschap; Der ‘Kunstverein’ Hannover.

Alexander Pierre Philips Cornelis Robert de Ceva; Hendrik van Cranenburg; Adriaan van der Hoop; Robert Baron Fagel; Willem van Loon; Hendrik Six; Anne Willem Carel Baron van Nagell van Ampsen; Count Jacques- André Coghen; Thomas Leveson Gower Baron Granvill; Sir Robert Peel; John Smith.