Ten Cate 1858-1908: Carriage At Dusk

Siebe Johannes Ten Cate was born in Sneek (Netherlands) in 1858, into a wealthy family; his father was the town's mayor. He studied art at the Antwerp Academy, then settled in Paris where he spent most of his career before dying there in 1908. His time in Paris brought him into contact with the French art scene of the Belle Époque, with a sensibility close to late Impressionism and the painters of modern life. Ten Cate painted numerous urban landscapes, harbors, train stations, bridges, and views of Paris and Holland, often in the atmospheric light of late afternoon or misty weather. We also find pastels of Parisian neighborhoods like Saint-Germain-des-Prés, where the brushstrokes remain supple and the colors slightly muted, which reinforces the atmospheric dimension rather than a vibrant color palette. Our twilight work is therefore very representative of this artist between two countries, between two eras. The Musée d’Orsay, for example, holds “Pont du Havre le soir” (The Bridge of Le Havre in the Evening).