oil on canvas

34 x 48 cm.

signed lower right

unframed

Xeno Augustus Franciscus Münninghoff (Deventer 1873 – 1944 Barneveld) was a Dutch Impressionist painter and drawing teacher, best known for his landscapes of the southern Veluwezoom region. He grew up in an artistic family and began his formal art training at the age of seventeen under painter Arend Hijner, later continuing his studies at the Rijksnormaalschool voor Teekenonderwijs in Amsterdam.

In 1897, Münninghoff was appointed director of the newly established Municipal Drawing School in Renkum. Two years later, he also assumed leadership of the drawing school in Oosterbeek. He was a member of Pictura Veluvensis, where he regularly exhibited his work.

In 1906, Münninghoff married the artist Mathilde Jacoba van Vliet, with whom he had two daughters. The family lived in Oosterbeek, where he maintained his studio and organized exhibitions together with his wife. His painting style was influenced by his friendship with Theophile de Bock; both artists frequently worked en plein air to capture nature directly. Münninghoff focused on the effects of light on form and color nuances, resulting in paintings characterized by rich colors and a strong sense of spatial depth.

He continued painting throughout his life and is especially known for his refined landscapes and depictions of trees. In addition to landscapes, he also created portraits and figure studies, always in a naturalistic style. He produced etchings and lithographs as well.

Münninghoff was a member of Arti et Amicitiae in Amsterdam. Alongside his artistic career, he was actively involved in supporting fellow artists. During the First World War, he served as secretary of the Arnhem and surrounding areas subcommittee of the Netherlands Support Committee for Visual Artists, which provided financial assistance to artists in need.

In 1937, he was appointed Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau. Due to the evacuation of Oosterbeek during the Second World War, Münninghoff passed away on October 31, 1944, in Barneveld. He was later reburied in Oosterbeek. His work continues to be appreciated and exhibited, including in the Municipal Museum of Arnhem.