Taco Mesdag was a Dutch banker and painter.

Mesdag, son of the banker Klaas Mesdag and Johanna Willemina, worked with his younger brother Henry in the banking business of his family. Like his brother Hendrik Mesdag, he eventually also chose to paint as a profession. Together they played an important part in the Hague School

Hague School

The Hague School is the name given to a group of artists who lived and worked in The Hague between 1860 and 1890. Their work was heavily influenced by the realist painters of the French Barbizon school. The painters of the Hague school generally made use of relatively sombre colours, which is why...

 Pulchri Studio

Pulchri Studio

The Pulchri Studio is an important art institution and art studio based in The Hague, Netherlands. It began in 1847 at the home of painter Lambertus Hardenberg, established with the help of Johan Hendrik Weissenbruch, Jan Weissenbruch, Willem Roelofs, Jan Frederik van Deventer, Willem Antonie van...

, where Hendrik served as president and Taco as treasurer.

He was taught by Paul Gabriël

Paul Gabriël

Paul Joseph Constantin Gabriël was a painter, draftsman, watercolorist, and etcher who belonged to the Hague School....

, among others. Mesdag is best known as the painter of the landscape of Drenthe. Much of his work was donated by his widow, Geesje van Calcar, to the Groninger Museum

Groninger Museum

The Groninger Museum is a museum of modern and contemporary art in Groningen, Netherlands.-Background:Although not as well known as other Dutch institutions of fine art, the Groninger Museum was founded in 1894...

.

On the Internet, many of his works are displayed in the Webmuseum Mesdagvancalcar. Use the "Pulchrizaal Taco Mesdag" link at this site.

Sources

• Dutch Wikipedia Article
• Biography of Taco Mesdag at the Webmuseum Mesdagvancalcar
• Bryan, Michael: Dictionary of Painters and Engravers