Arthur van Schendel

Arthur van Schendel (March 15, 1874, Batavia, Dutch East Indies - September 11 1946, Amsterdam) was a Dutch writer of novels and short stories. One of his best known works is "Het fregatschip Johanna Maria".

Prizes

*1931 - C.W. van der Hoogtprijs for "Het fregatschip Johanna Maria"
*1933 - Tollens-prijs for his entire oeuvre
*1947 - P.C. Hooftprijs for "Het oude huis"

Dutch novelist and short-story writer, whose basically Romantic temperament, combined with a concentrated, restrained, almost classical style, produced some of the greatest novels of his period.

His first important novels "Een zwerver verliefd" (1904; “A Wanderer in Love”) and "Een zwerver verdwaald" (1907; “A Lost Wanderer”) are set in medieval Italy, but the historical aspect is subordinated to the inner life and imagination of the hero, Tamalone. The force of destiny is felt throughout, and Schendel's muted, sober use of language intensifies the tragic note.

The theme of fate and humanity's inevitable succumbing to it is prevalent in all his later works, in which he turns to a more realistic style. Notable examples are "Het fregatschip Johanna Maria" (1930; "The Johanna Maria", 1935), the history of one of the vanishing sailing ships and its sailmaker, and his popular "Een Hollandsch drama" (1935; "The House in Haarlem", 1940).

"De waterman" ("The waterman") of 1933 tells the story of an idealistic bargeman in the early 19th Century Netherlands, spending his life sailing the system of canals crisscrossing the country, dreaming of social reform and getting involved with utopian religious sects.

Van Schendel's romanticism reasserted itself in his last works, among which "De wereld een dansfeest" (1938) and "De grauwe vogels" (1937; "Grey Birds", 1939) are perhaps the best known.

Bibliography

* 1896 - "Drogon"
* 1904 - "Een zwerver verliefd" (A Wanderer in Love)
* 1907 - "Een zwerver verdwaald" (A Lost Wanderer)
* 1908 - "De schoone jacht" (The beautiful hunt)
* 1910 - "Shakespeare"
* 1913 - "De berg van droomen" (The mountain of dreams)
* 1916 - "De mensch van Nazareth" (The human of Nazareth)
* 1919 - "Pandorra"
* 1921 - "Der liefde bloesems" (About the love of blossoms)
* 1922 - "Rose Angélique, de droomers van de liefde" (Rose Angélique, the dreamers of love)
* 1923 - "Angiolio en de lente" (Angiolio and spring)
* 1923 - "Blanke gestalten" (White shapes)
* 1924 - "Oude Italiaansche steden" (Old Italian cities)
* 1925 - "Verdichtsel van zomerdagen" (Poetry of summer days)
* 1926 - "Verlaine"
* 1927 - "Maneschijn" (Moonlight)
* 1927 - "Merona, een edelman" (Merona, a nobleman)
* 1928 - "Fratilamur"
* 1929 - "Florentijnsche verhalen" (Florentinian stories)
* 1930 - "Het fregatschip Johanna Maria" (roman) (The frigate Johanna Maria)
* 1931 - "Een eiland in de Zuidzee" (An island in the South Sea)
* 1932 - "Jan Compagnie"
* 1933 - "De waterman" (The waterman)
* 1934 - "Herinneringen van een dommen jongen" (Memories of a silly boy)
* 1935 - "Een Hollandsch drama" (A Dutch drama)
* 1936 - "De rijke man" (The rich man)
* 1937 - "De grauwe vogels" (The ashen birds)
* 1938 - "De wereld een dansfeest" (The world a ball)
* 1938 - "Nachtgedaanten" (Nightshapes)
* 1939 - "Anders en eender" (Different and equal)
* 1939 - "De zeven tuinen" (roman) (The seven gardens)
* 1940 - "Mijnheer Oberon en Mevrouw" (Mister Oberon and Miss)
* 1941 - "De menschenhater" (roman) (The men hater)
* 1942 - "Een spel der natuur" (A game of nature)
* 1942 - "De wedergeboorte van Bedelman" (collection) (The rebirth of Bedelman)
* 1946 - "De Nederlanden" (poem) (The Netherlands)
* 1946 - "Het oude huis" (roman) (The old house)
* 1948 - "Voorbijgaande schaduwen" (Passing shadows)
* 1976 - "Verzameld werk" (1976-1978, 1983) (Collected work)

External links

* [http://www.dbnl.org/auteurs/auteur.php3?id=sche034 Biografie in de Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse Letteren]
* [http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/meij019lite01_01/meij019lite01_01_0010.htm English-langugue article on Dutch literature including analysis of van Schendel's main works]