Paul Arntzenius (born 20 May 1883 in The Hague – died 4 January 1965 in The Hague) was a Dutch painter, draftsman, etcher and passionate art collector.
He grew up in an artistically engaged family: his uncle was Floris Arntzenius, and young Paul was regularly exposed to artistic practice early on. His childhood years were marked by the death of his mother shortly after his birth, and he was raised in a milieu where the painter Willem Bastiaan Tholen, living above his family home, became an important mentor.
From about 1901 to 1903 Arntzenius studied at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague under the guidance of Tholen and D.H. van der Poll. Over his career he worked in and around the Netherlands—The Hague, Zeeland (Veere, Domburg), Amsterdam—and also maintained ties to Paris for periods of time.
Artistically, he regarded himself as a “later flowering” (Dutch: nabloeier) of the Hague School, though his work transcends a simplistic classification. His style is closely allied with impressionistic sensibilities, especially under Tholen’s influence, and shows a delicate attentiveness to mood, quietness and subtle observation of nature and still-life objects.
His subjects ranged from landscapes, seascapes and village scenes, to still lifes (often humble objects: a jug, garlic bulb, fruit basket), to portraits and figure studies.Many of his still lifes are distinguished by subdued colour-harmonies, gentle lighting, and a serene, contemplative atmosphere. For example, his 1932 “Still Life with a Jug” shows a simple earthenware jug and a garlic bulb set against a quiet backdrop.
Beyond painting, Arntzenius was a dedicated collector of art and sought to build what he called “a monument of good art,” in part as a counterweight to what he saw as the rise of purely abstract experimentation. His collection included works by prominent 19th and early-20th century artists.
Oostvoorne ‘Oude Maas’, 1937