Johannes Warnardus Bilders

“drawings and paintings of J.W. Bilders in the Rijksstudio, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam”

“biography facts and dates of Johannes Warnardus Bilders, at the Dutch R.K.D.”

“..and to my great pleasure I heard that the work 'The Wodan's Oaks' (at my brother's home), had also struck you so much. I think this is almost the most beautiful painting Bilders has made. I know that many of our artists have also been struck by it at Goupil's [art-seller in The Hague]. Among others Jacob Maris has spoken about it so warmly. And if one remembers that Bilders was [already] 75 when he made this! After the Wodan's oak - (?) to his Paradise.. [4 years later he died] (translation from Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek)”

“I doubt whether Bilders' great talent ever reached its full development. He stood alone, absolutely alone. The phlegmatic painters who were content slavishly to copy nature, the eminent painters of fields and cattle had little or nothing in common with him and the studies which were sold at the auction held in the studio of the late Mrs. Bilders-van Bosse, his second wife, prove that he felt a longing for more colour, that, directly or indirectly, he had experienced the influence of a Delacroix.”

“I believe that in our country Bilders' art is entirely self-contained and has not generated a particular school, despite the educational and moral strength which his art expressed. But man is inclined to compare, and that's why I believe Théodore Rousseau may be called Bilders' elder brother. Bilders' 'Wodans oaks' paintings.. ..[are] as beautiful as many by Rousseau. (translation from Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek)”

“Here in Oosterbeek, Bilders frequently worked behind the church, in the lower village, where then you could still find beautiful picturesque spots and old huts. He also worked a lot near the watermill of woman Gerritsen, well known to all painters of those days, and he was never able to forgive the rich Amsterdam guy who devastated that beautiful corner, to turn it into an ordinary villa. (translation from Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek)”

“Our trips in Drenthe [in 1878-79] he [Johannes Warnardus Bilders] enjoyed a lot, but Vorden and especially Oosterbeek remained the places he loved most. Drenthe was too new for him. The most beautiful painting he made of it were 'the Hunnebeds', a fusain in my possession. He found back again Hobbema everywhere. (translation from Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek)”

“Even though many have seen Bilders studying nature with the greatest zeal and the noblest enthusiasm of studying nature, everyone will realize that an artist with such a poetic soul, processing his impressions, did not give what is called a faithful, elaborate imitation of nature.. .In our imagination we see Bilders, whom we saw so often at work, with a large pallet and broad brushes, standing at a certain distance from his canvas.. (translation from Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek)”

“He painted – was living in Utrecht, [he] immediately attracted attention and had many ideas, got good prices for that time; and once he thought 'Is this really beautiful, as people say - but the people are crazy or I am - I came to the conclusion – the people are wrong - picked up my things and went to Oosterbeek' [Autumn of 1841, where he thoroughly started to study nature: branches, stems, plants. Etc..] (translation from Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek).”

“Being self-taught and striving for a broad, fresh original concept of art himself he thought he could not warn Mesdag enough, to be on his guard and not to become a 'little Roelofs'; to point him to look above all with his very own eyes. (translation from Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek).”

“Last week I was with Bilders.. .I saw a beautiful landscape of him, the village Vorden, illuminated by the evening twilight, with Cows in the Foreground. very poetical, and the true color of Father Bilders, as always.- (translation from Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek).”

“Recently my father visited me and he was very pleased with my little painting, the one you also found quite good. So this little work, which has cost me so many unpleasant hours, still has delivered me two pleasant moments after all. .. I imagine that I have now gained fresh courage again, because I have to confess that I lowered my courage a bit. I have decided not to overcome by despair so soon again. (translation from Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek).”

“You, who of the [[w:Dutch Golden Age painting|Dutch [painting] School]] keeps confirming its old fame.. .Your tree shadows, your distance, your inimitable airs, - It all remind us of Ruysdael's spirit and Berchem's art (translation from Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek).”

“Yes, of course you want every shot to be a duck-bird [a dead bird?]”

“Just start, your palette will help you. (if you worried about a painting or dread to start painting”

“..buried soberly, as simple as a child of the people, as I am.”

“People call this beautiful? - no, they are crazy, or I am mad! – How I learned now at Oosterbeek [c. 1834-36 that I should look at Nature completely different! In the beginning I could not make anything good; I soon realized that I had to start all over again.”

“On a certain day I packed my things and went to Oosterbeek [c. 1834-36]. I saw a man lying out of the window somewhere. Farmer! are there rooms for rent nearby? - Yes sir, even here. - I went in, saw a beautiful, suitable painting room; that satisfied me, I ask for nothing more. One hundred fifty guilders was the rent [per year]. I offered a hundred sixty when he also worked the garden and planted a lot of red cabbage, because I like to see that.”

“Then - being in two minds - in my father's courtyard, I counted the buttons of my coat: soldier or painter, soldier, painter, soldier, painter.. ..the last button told me: painter. So it was decided by chance that I would become a painter [c. 1831].”

“I agreed with my father's servant, to travel secretly to Greece [c. 1825-26], to help them in their War for freedom against the Turks]; everything was ready for the journey, but then my father discovered our intentions. On that occasion I got my first and only beating.”