The painting

The painting depicts a cottage, as there were many in the isolated area of the province Drenthe at the end of the ninetienth century.
Next to the cottage a woman and a child. Standing on a sandpath which seems to disappear in infinity. For the rest nothing but sky, a fully but lightly clouded morning or evening sky.
The painting is dark, very dark. There also isn't much detail, it's not like the photo-realistic paintings many of us are used to.
It's also small and looks old.

As far as we know the painting is never cleaned or restored.
The carrier of the painting is some kind of board, it's not massive wood. The surface on which the paint is applied can't be seen, there's no canvas visible.
The paint is applied thick and there are bursts in the paint.
At some spots the paint is bubbled, the largest bubble in the top center of the painting.
The paint of the sky is very thick. The brushstrokes are clearly visible.
The paint of the darker parts especially the cottage and the flatlands has an irregular surface.
At the back of the painting there's a label, probably from the firm which framed the painting, it reads (in old Dutch):



The firm Schoonheim checked the label, they "think the label should be approximately 80 years old." (When they are correct, this means that the painting is probably framed around 1920, note: this is the period of framing, not necessarily the period of painting).

The painting is sensitive for the angle at which one looks at it, also the lighting angle influences the painting a lot.

We named the painting "Cottage with sticks", another name could've been "Cottage with woman and child".

In this website we dig deeper into the details of the painting.

Cottage with sticks & Vincent van Gogh - by Carl & Ans 2003-2005.

Painting full-size

Cottage with sticks