Etchings · watercolours · drawings — city and harbour views, 1890–1950
Eugène Rensburg
1872–1956
The Dutch city, recorded line by line.
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No. 01 — Biography
1872
Eugenius Rensburg is born on 16 September in The Hague, the son of Jacques Rensburg and Rosalia Hanau. Around 1890 he trains at the city’s Academy of Fine Arts. The city by the water — its canals, squares and harbours — becomes his life’s work.
1902
He marries Maria van Dommelen in Rotterdam; the certificate records his profession as draughtsman. The Paris years follow, with working periods in Berlin, Vienna and Budapest and motifs along the Rhine, Danube, Seine and Thames.
1913
For the open-air production of King Oedipus in Arnhem he draws from life — the plate reads DEL AD VIV — and etches his monumental plate for Willem Royaards. The black impression in an edition of 3/5 ranks among his best-documented work.
1956
After the Paris years he settles in The Hague for good. He keeps recording the city into old age and dies there on 6 November, aged 84. The death certificate names the profession that carried him all his life: painter.
No. 02 — Oeuvre
The oeuvre: Rensburg etchings, watercolours and paintings
Rensburg’s work is topographical in nature. He drew and etched what he saw: the Leuvehaven and the Coolsingel in Rotterdam, the fish market in Utrecht, the Vijverberg in The Hague, and river views along the Rhine, Danube, Seine and Thames. Etchings — including colour etchings —, lithographs, oil paintings, watercolours and dated pencil drawings by his hand are documented. The oeuvre register on this site grows with every documented find.
No. 03 — The craft
The etching at its height
A copper plate, a needle, acid and time — the etching is Rensburg’s principal technique. His monumental King Oedipus of 1913, here in the black impression of edition 3/5, shows the craft at its height: theatre, portrait and linework in one plate.
No. 04 — Shop
The shop: works from the register
The shop offers a changing selection of etchings, watercolours, drawings and paintings by Eugène Rensburg. Some works are available for immediate purchase; others are offered with prices on request — quote the register number and you will receive a personal reply about price, condition and provenance.
Do you own a work by Rensburg?
We mediate in the sale of works from private collections and assess authenticity and quality on request. Send photographs of the work, the signature and the reverse; you will receive a first reaction without obligation.
Frequently asked questions about Eugène Rensburg
Who was Eugène Rensburg?
Eugène (Eugenius) Rensburg (The Hague 1872 – The Hague 1956) was a Dutch etcher, watercolourist, painter and draughtsman. He is known for his topographically faithful city and harbour views, in particular of Rotterdam before the bombardment of 1940.
How do I recognise a genuine Rensburg etching?
Rensburg’s etchings usually carry a pencil signature below the sheet with his full name, together with title, date and an edition number (for example 22/100). On the Oedipus etchings the plate itself bears the inscription DEL AD VIV: drawn from life. Compare your work with the documented examples in the oeuvre register.
What is a Rensburg etching worth?
That depends on subject, edition, condition and provenance. Auction results range from a few dozen euros for small etchings to several thousand for rare works; the auction record stands at USD 6,462 for the painting A forest brook (Sotheby’s Amsterdam, 2011). For an indication, always request a current appraisal.
How many works did Rensburg make?
The art trade circulates an estimate of more than five thousand etchings, of which some four hundred and fifty depict Rotterdam. Those figures are unsubstantiated and should be considered unproven. What is certain is that his work continues to appear on the market in large series.
Where can I buy or sell work by Rensburg?
You can buy through the shop on this site and at auction houses and specialist dealers. You can sell through consignment: read how it works on the page Offer a work.