Johan Hendrik van Mastenbroek is famous for his attractive paintings of Rotterdam's harbour. He followed the development of the harbour closely and it occupies an important place in his oeuvre.
Born in Rotterdam in 1875 as the son of a dealer in paint and paintings, at an early age Van Mastenbroek became familiar with art and artists such as the Hague School painters, Jongkind and the French artists Corot and Daubigny. At about 17 he had already produced hundreds of sketches which were to stand him in good stead later when working on his paintings. At 18 he was offered a one-year contract by an English art dealer, which led to his paintings being displayed at major international exhibitions in London and New York.
