“Zuyderzee strand” 

A large etching of a cliff (ice age) remnant on the shores of Duch Zuyderzee when it was still a part of the tidal North Sea and before it was closed-off by the Afsluitdijk in 1932. This copy was found in an auction in Germany in 2022.  Some years ago an attempt to acquire a large  studio folio with many of her etchings, probably left-overs from her personal estate, failed. Sadly they were later sold separately. Living on the edge of the former Zuiderzee, possibly very near the location (Frisian cliff remnants near Staveren) this print, also part of the folio, was on the Wishlist ever since. A coloured version of this etching came to light as well as the preserved original pencil sketch. Read her fascinating short biography to learn more about her life, family and work and her two known students.  (Name  = button above) 

“St. Ignatiuskerk, Rotterdam” 

Recently, this large aquatint was acquired. It came from the artist’s personal estate. It shows a rare silhouette of Rotterdam before the old city was destroyed cowardly by German Nazi bombers in 1940. The church survived the bombardment but was demolished in 1967.   

Archive

Frederika was a remarkable Dutch artist, most of all a fine etcher. She created landscapes obviously inspired by Rembrandt, portraits (of her mother !) after Whistler, marines and and city-scapes in different techniques and even dared at aquatint etching. Above: a personal selection. 

An attempt to catalogue her work is archived here:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Frederika_Broeksmit

  

Living and working in Katwijk on the North Sea she was involved in studying and drawing wild birds and also in the private rescue and rehabilitation of sea birds long before this was more generally accepted and structured. 


In her home town, Katwijk, she is known to have had at least one etching student: exentric etcher Johann Windhorst. 

gerbrandcaspers@icloud.com