Jan ten Brink
Encyclopedia
Jan ten Brink was a Dutch
writer
. He studied in Leiden, went to Batavia for a few years and in 1862 he became a teacher at a secondary school in The Hague
. In 1884 he became professor in Dutch literature
at the Leiden University
.
Ten Brink was a conservative writer. Conrad Busken Huet and, especially, the 'movement of 80', writers and poets who were far more progressive than Ten Brink, attacked him on several occasions in literary magazine
s such as De Gids and De Nieuwe Gids
.
He also wrote several books on the history of Dutch literature:
Jan ten Brink was known for his admiration of the novels of Émile Zola
. He was one of the first Dutch writers to write about naturalism
, and the first one to introduce Zola and his novels in the Netherlands, a.o. by writing a book on Émile Zola.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. He studied in Leiden, went to Batavia for a few years and in 1862 he became a teacher at a secondary school in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. In 1884 he became professor in Dutch literature
Dutch literature
Dutch literature comprises all writings of literary merit written through the ages in the Dutch language, a language which currently has around 23 million native speakers...
at the Leiden University
Leiden University
Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
.
Ten Brink was a conservative writer. Conrad Busken Huet and, especially, the 'movement of 80', writers and poets who were far more progressive than Ten Brink, attacked him on several occasions in literary magazine
Literary magazine
A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry and essays along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letters...
s such as De Gids and De Nieuwe Gids
De Nieuwe Gids
De Nieuwe Gids was a Dutch illustrated literary periodical which was published from 1885 to 1943. It played an important role in promoting the literary movement of 1880s...
.
Works
In total, Jan ten Brink wrote over 20 novels, including:- Gerbrand Adriaensen Brederoó (1859)
- Dirck Volkertsen Coornhert en zijne Wellevenskunst (1860)
- Oost-Indische dames en heeren (1866)
- De schoonzoon van Mevrouw de Roggeveen (1871–1873)
- Eene schitterende carrière (1879)
- De familie Muller-Belmonte (1880)
He also wrote several books on the history of Dutch literature:
- Geschiedenis der Noord-Nederlandsche letteren in de XIXe eeuw (1888–1889)
- Geschiedenis der Nederlandsche letterkunde (1897)
Jan ten Brink was known for his admiration of the novels of Émile Zola
Émile Zola
Émile François Zola was a French writer, the most important exemplar of the literary school of naturalism and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism...
. He was one of the first Dutch writers to write about naturalism
Naturalism (literature)
Naturalism was a literary movement taking place from the 1880s to 1940s that used detailed realism to suggest that social conditions, heredity, and environment had inescapable force in shaping human character...
, and the first one to introduce Zola and his novels in the Netherlands, a.o. by writing a book on Émile Zola.
- Émile Zola (1879)