Dutch Family, ca. 1894

Walter Mac Ewen studied in Europe from 1877 onwards, first at the academy in Munich and later in Paris. In imitation of other American artists he then moved to the Netherlands, where he rented a studio for many years. He exhibited his work regularly at the Salons in Belgium and was officially recognised as a painter by them. His popularity in Belgium is illustrated by the purchase, in 1895, of the painting, Dutch Family, which was also the first time the Belgian state had bought a painting by an American artist. The painting depicts the interior of a family home in Overijssel. The painting also shows the influence of Dutch art on Mac Ewen. Particularly striking are traces of the Hague School, seen in the subdued colours and the play of light and dark in the background.