floral – FTN-blog

There is a tradition in dutch painting that the dutch are specially good at Still Life painting. It does not matter if the subject is flowers, a kitchen table or just some pots and pans, through the ages they have made beautiful and highly detailed still life paintings. How about this as an example: Jan van Huysem floral painting.

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Filled with details and just an example of the many many still life paintings the dutch have made through the ages. Van Huysum is just an example , but to prove my point i want to present the Groninger painter Henk Helmantel as a contemporary colleague of the old masters. His technique is one of a kind and his works can be compared with the very best from the GOLDEN AGE in dutch painting.

If ever you want to see his paintings in a semi public surroundings, please visit the Hotel Restaurant de Zon in Ommen because they have some of his classic still life painting on permanent show and while at it have a nice lunch at the restaurant and enjoy the Vechtdal.

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There ara several books on still life painting available at www.ftn-books.com, among them this one designed by Wim Crouwel for the Stilleven exhibition at the van Abbemuseum

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Emil Nolde had a very long life and witnessed many art styles during this life, soaked them up and made a style which is personal and highly recognizable as Emil Nolde. For me it is a something between Kirchner ( see last weeks blogs) and Gauguin. It is pleasing in its appearance, but the use of primary colors makes it also unreal and typical for the BRUCKE group. Wikipedia mentions his interest in van Gogh …..

Emil Nolde (born Emil Hansen; 7 August 1867 – 13 April 1956) was a German-Danish painter and printmaker. He was one of the first Expressionists, a member of Die Brücke, and was one of the first oil painting and watercolor painters of the early 20th century to explore color. He is known for his brushwork and expressive choice of colors. Golden yellows and deep reds appear frequently in his work, giving a luminous quality to otherwise somber tones. His watercolors include vivid, brooding storm-scapes and brilliant florals.

Nolde’s intense preoccupation with the subject of flowers reflected his interest in the art of Vincent van Gogh

….. but take a look at this Gauguin and you see immediately what a mean.

left Gauguin and right Nolde . You can see the similarities in color and even some aspects of the composition look the same. Far fetched?….maybe a little , but for me Nolde stands much closer to Gauguin and even Chagall than to van Gogh.

There are Nolde publications available at www.ftn-books.com