Cafe Zuidlaardermarket

About this artwork.

Gijsbert George Martens (1894 - 1979) was a visual artist and co-founder of the Groningen art society De Ploeg. Martens was a creditable amateur painter at the end of the nineteenth century and had become familiar with painting and shipping from an early age. He received his first lessons from his father who made seascapes. In 1912 he started as a student at the Minerva Academy, where he met his future wife Alida Pott, as well as Johan Dijkstra, Jan Wiegers and Jan Altink, with whom he founded the art society De Ploeg in 1918. As an active member of De Ploeg, Martens took part in exhibitions but also held board positions. And although things did not always go smoothly between him and De Ploeg, it was a covenant for life, because he remained a member of De Ploeg until his death.

The George Martensstraat named after him can be found in Ten Boer, as well as the Alida Pottstraat named after his wife.

Martens can be regarded as a typical representative of Groningen expressionism, characterized by strong colors and spontaneous use of the brush. The many cityscapes and impressions of Groningen street life became highlights in his oeuvre. He is still regarded as the one who accurately captured the dynamics of urban life in the 1920s. He made an exception for this painting and painted an annual scene in Zuidlaren in Drenthe. It was purchased by the municipality in 1965.

Facts & Figures.

• Artist(s)
  George Martens

• Year of creation
  1952

• Dimensions (in cm)
  77x97

• Collection
  Town Hall Collection

• Technic
  Oil paint on canvas