Spohler, Johannes Franciscus

His father, Jan Jacob Spohler, died when Johannes Franciscus was only thirteen years old, so, unlike his much older brother Jan Jacob Coenraad, he most likely never had lessons from him. This absence of a paternal painting influence is possibly why Johannes Franciscus chose a genre different from that of his father and brother. He concentrated on painting historicist city and village scenes filled with figures, as opposed to the summer landscapes and winter scenes favored by his family members. His oeuvre was inspired by that of the grand master in the field, Cornelis Springer, with his depictions of narrow streets of Old-Dutch houses, populated with all kinds of people busily engaged in all kinds of activity. Spohler’s work is represented in various leading museums.