From his early pictures onwards it was clear that Toorop was not dogmatic in his use of the ideas of Seurat’s pointillism.
He not only used small dots to build up the painting, as Seurat did, but from the beginning also used small horizontal and vertical brushstrokes.
In 1904 Toorop visited his friend van Rysselberghe in Paris where he got to know Signac and his friends.
Signac showed him a more dynamic style of pointillism which Toorop immediately inspired.
Toorop processed this pointillism completely into his own style.
He used a wide stroke with warm and clear colours which caused beautiful light and sphere-effects.
His stay in Domburg during the summer-months since 1903 has most probably played an important role in the rise of the before-mentioned style.
The special atmosphere and the remarkable light fascinated him enormously and fitted perfectly into this pointillism.
Toorop used without doubt the style he had seen from Signac over the years to come.
Zeeuwse Meisjes was made in the Dutch province Zeeland on the island of Walcheren around 1908.
Toorop always had a strong connection with the sea and often spent the summer months at seaside resorts.
From 1897 his residence for most summer retreats was the city of Domburg on the island of Walcheren in Zeeland.
Other artists like Mondrian, Jacoba van Heemskerck and Ferdinand Hart Nibbrig followed his example.
Toorop even build a special pavilion for the artists to have exhibitions during the summer months.
Zeeuwse Meisjes shows two young girls in traditional clothing, with the typical flounce at the bottom of the cap.
These caps were worn by Protestant girls until they where married.
This painting fits into a series made in Domburg in the years 1907-1908, most of them now owned by Dutch museums.
This style can undoubtfully be seen as one of the sources of which the Amsterdam Luminism originated (A.B. Loosjes-Terpstra, Moderne kunst in Nederland, Utrecht 1987, p. 10).
In those years Toorop also worked side by side in Domburg with Piet Mondrian who was clearly influenced by Toorop’s way of painting.
They both frequently used cardboard, the same bright colour with predominant use of pink, yellow, light-blue and green and the same broad brushstrokes. It gives these paintings an exceptionally sunny and optimistic atmosphere.
Although it’s not quite clear what the girls are doing, one might suggest that Toorop made an allusion on the often depicted scene between the Virgin Mary and the archangel, who comes to announce her motherhood.
Toorop, the grandmaster of Dutch symbolism, in this stage of his life, often made veiled symbolic painting, giving scenes from everyday life a religious meaning.
A few years later he would drop that veil and depicted unmistakable Catholic scenes.
This painting from around 1909 brings together the best of Toorops qualities as a painter and narrator, referring to his past and predicting the future.
It makes this bright painting enigmatic and intriguing to watch.