The core of the collection is formed by a number of ‘sublime’ landscapes. ‘Sublime’ is here used in the art-historical sense of the word, which indicates that landscapes are both pleasing to the eye and terrifying at the same time. The magnificent nature, painted with so much skill and devotion, gets in these works of art by its magnitude and greatness something ominous from the very beginning.
Esthetical exaltation, melancholy, mystery and even religious experiences are the very characteristics for the period of Romanticism, that is evoked in these works of art.

An integral part of this group of ‘sublime’ landscapes is formed by so-called ‘nocturnes’. These outstanding examples of poetical works, where the delicate moonlight is reflected in the water, inspire to introspection about the meaning of live and the putting into perspective of the hectic of daytime. In more than twenty paintings of the Rademakers Collection the night is the ruler of the world and that is no coincidence.  Jacob Abels, the specialist in this kind of landscapes was not only a follower of his 17th century example Aert van der Neer, but in technical respect sometimes surpassed his earlier example. About him Jef Rademakers wrote a dense biography: 'Painter of the Night'.