Barend Cornelis Koekkoek (1803–1862) was the preeminent Dutch landscape painter of the Romantic era, widely hailed as the "Prince of Landscape Painting" during his lifetime. Coming from a famous dynasty of artists, he refined his craft at the Royal Academy of Art in Amsterdam before moving to Kleve, Germany, where he founded his own academy. Koekkoek enjoyed the prestigious patronage of European monarchs, including King Willem II of the Netherlands and King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia. His work is the pinnacle of Northern Romanticism, characterized by epic, sprawling forests, majestic oak trees, and dramatic vistas bathed in a golden, ethereal light.
Koekkoek’s style is defined by "The Sublime"—a philosophy that emphasizes the awe-inspiring power and beauty of nature. For a stitcher, a Koekkoek counted cross-stitch design is an invitation to master the art of light and shadow. His intricate foliage and mossy textures require a rich palette of deep greens, siennas, and luminous ambers, making for a deeply immersive stitching experience. Recreating a Koekkoek landscape with your needle allows you to bring the grandeur of the 19th-century Dutch countryside into your space, capturing the majestic, hushed atmosphere of an ancient forest one stitch at a time.