I never had seen a Montyn work until the early ~Seventies. At that timne i bought my first Jan Montyn etching. A blue bird, simplified on a typical Montyn background. It was a fairly large etching and i had it on the wall for over 10 years and then i changed it for a photograph of Lucien Clergue. It is in a drawer for 3 decades now, but i still like it . It is the same with all other Montyn etchings. They have something dreamlike and combine realism with abstract parts and all have great technique. Some years after i bought this etching i read the autobiography of Jan Montyn in which he tells the story of his early life. Specially the days he spent in the Foreign Legion, was shipwrecked as a sailor for the Kriegsmarine and was sent to the Eastern Front near Koerlandand and particpated in the battles over there. A colorfull figure, who perhaps did not always make the right (political) choices in his life, but his art still stands out and deserves to be appreciated apart from these. An excelllent title , published on the occasion of 75th birthday in 1999 is available at www.ftn-books.com
