Joannes Bemme

Joannes Bemme was a printmaker active during the mid-to-late eighteenth century, with a documented working period spanning 1741 to 1800. Bemme's surviving prints demonstrate a broad range of subject matter, indicating a versatile practice that covered portraiture, historical documentation, and landscape art.

His work includes detailed portraiture, such as the print Bakkersechtpaar Arent Oostwaard en Catharina Keizerswaard, alongside detailed documentation of contemporary military and political events. Notably, Bemme recorded specific scenes related to the French revolutionary wars, exemplified by the works Vlucht van de Franse generaal Charles-Francois Dumouriez and Overtocht van de Franse troepen over de Waal in januari 1795. His technical skill also extended to studies of daily life and nature, seen in genre pieces like Strandscène met man en hond in het water and the descriptive landscape Bergachtig landschap met wandelaars.

Fifteen of Joannes Bemme's prints are preserved in museum collections, confirming his importance as a chronicler of his era. The primary holdings of his known works are maintained by the Rijksmuseum. As these historical works are now often in the public domain, Joannes Bemme prints are frequently utilized for research and reproduction, contributing to the study of late eighteenth-century graphic arts. The ongoing digitization of these holdings ensures the availability of high-quality prints for scholarly purposes.