People have always enjoyed a little chat with the neighbour. A woman with a wheelbarrow in which a child sits has stopped to talk to an older woman. Amsterdam painter August Allebé composed the scene in his studio, using studies he had made in the village of Dongen. The woman in the large white cap – a sign that she is well-to-do – was based on sketches of the landlady of the ‘Vrouw Muskens’ inn in the village.
Allebé first visited Dongen in 1864 and spent his summers painting and sketching there until 1870. Back in Amsterdam, he would use the work he had produced there to create new compositions. He probably had a great liking for cats, as they feature in many of his paintings.
August Allebé, Neighbourly Chat, 1869, painting, oil on canvas, on loan from the Friends of Stedelijk Museum Breda