Willem Hekking jr.

Willem Hekking jr. was an artist whose active period spanned nearly three decades, from approximately 1835 through 1864. His known output focused predominantly on detailed drawings and prints documenting architectural topography, civic life, and genre scenes, primarily centered around Amsterdam.

His surviving works are represented in significant museum collections, notably at the Rijksmuseum. The known body of work documented in these collections includes eleven drawings and one print. These compositions offer valuable records of mid-nineteenth-century Dutch urban landscapes and activities.

Among his documented works are topographical studies such as Gezicht op Amstelstraat 1-5 and Fontein en binnenplaats aan de Prinsengracht in Amsterdam. Hekking jr. also created detailed architectural interiors, evidenced by the compositions titled Compositie met beelden in de Beeldenzaal in het Oude Doolhof, as well as documenting specific social events, including the Eerste wedstrijd van de Koninklijke Nederlandse Yachtclub op het IJ.

The comprehensive documentation of urban life found in the surviving drawings and Willem Hekking jr. prints establishes his role as a careful observer of the era. Given the artist’s period of activity, these works are typically recognized as being in the public domain, allowing for widespread access and reproduction as museum-quality, high-quality prints for research and display.