K. (Kasparus) Karsen
Dutch artist Kasparus Karsen was born in Amsterdam on 2 April 1810. He died in Biebrich am Rhein (Wiesbaden – Germany) on 24 July 1896. Karsen was a painter of city views, but also draughtsman, lithographer, watercolourist and photographer.
Background Kasparus Karsen
Dutch artist Kasparus (‘Kasper’) Karsen was a son of furniture maker Aalt Karssen and Helena Westenberg. In the baptismal register, his surname was incorrectly listed as Karsen instead of Karssen. He grew up in Amsterdam in an Evangelical Lutheran milieu. At a young age, Kasper was trained by his uncle, city views and landscape painter George Pieter Westenberg (1791-1873). In period 1825-1827, he studied at the National Academy of Visual Arts in Amsterdam. In 1836 he became a member of this academy. After the academy, he was taught by painters Dirk Vettewinkel (1787-1841) and Hendrik ten Cate (1803-1856).
Kasper was married to Bloemendaal-born Engelina de Koning (1816-1854) and lived at Rozengracht 453 and Kerkstraat 669 in Amsterdam. After Engelina’s death, he remarried on November 9th 1854 to Amsterdam servant Johanna Frederika Kluter (1823-n.a.). From 1880, the new family lived in Sloten on Haarlemmerweg 270. 10 children were born to both families. His sons George Karsen (1843-1912), Kars Karsen (1852-1935) and Johann Eduard Karsen (1860-1941) also engaged in art and photography.
In 1864, Kasper ran a photography studio in Amsterdam together with German-born Johan Coenraad Hamburger (1809-after1871). This studio was called Photographisch atelier van K. Karsen & C. Hamburger.
Kasper lived not only in Amsterdam, but also temporarily in Haarlem (1842-1844), Germany (1837) and several times in Prague. In Germany, he visited Westphalia and the Rhine, among other places.
From decoration painter to art painter
Kasper worked as a decorative painter for Dirk Vettewinkel from 1830-1834. Here he decorated houses and jewellery. Kasper then specialised in painting city views and landscapes under the guidance of George Westenberg. He did not always paint the locations truthfully, but modified certain elements to create a more beautiful reality. The towns and villages were mostly painted by Kasper from an outer edge.
In 1839, Kasper joined the artists’ society Arti et Amicitiae in Amsterdam.
Kasper taught the painters Henricus Jacobus Levelt (1808-1889), Coen Metzelaar (1845-1881), Alexander Oltmans (1814-1853) and Cornelis Springer (1817-1891). But also to Johannes Frederik Hulk (1829-1911), Henry Mosselman (1829-1893) and his son Johann Eduard Karsen.
Dutch artist Anton Nicolaas Marie Karssen (1945-2019) has a direct family connection to Kasparus Karsen.
