Lucienne Bloch - Art Deco in glass
In 1925, the year that the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes was held in Paris, Lucienne Bloch enrolled at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts. Here she laid the foundation for an oeuvre in sculpture in which 'Leerdam' would play a prominent role. The National Glass Museum in Leerdam dedicates a major exhibition this year to Lucienne Bloch and the Art Deco in glass.
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Glass artist Chris Lebeau: The alchemist and his briefcase with explosives
Armed with his ‘explosives briefcase’ and his acquired knowledge from Leerdam, decorative artist Chris Lebeau (1878-1945) went to the Bohemian glass factory Moser und Söhne in early 1926. Here his urge to experiment and his almost infinite imagination resulted in the creation of glass objects of exceptional technical and artistic quality. He returned in the winter of 1927 and 1929 to continue his artistic exploration at the Bohemian glass factory.
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Ball Chair by Eero Aarnio: Style icon from the Space Age
In his search for the possibilities of the new furniture material fibreglass, Eero Aarnio created the iconic Ball Chair. At first no manufacturer dared to make it, but in 1966 this Space Age-design became the star of the International Furniture Fair in Cologne. Kunstconsult has a beautiful Ball Chair with blue upholstery in the sales collection. From 9 June to 11 November 2018 this chair can be seen in the exhibition Simply Scandinavian | Nordic design 1945-2017 at Textielmuseum in Tilburg.
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Willem Heesen: Glass Poetry
After a career in design at the Glasfabriek Leerdam (Leerdam Glassworks), Willem Heesen (1925–2007) began a glass studio, De Oude Horn (The Old Horn). From here, he developed into one of the first free glass artists. His poetic work was often inspired by the river and landscape that surrounded him.
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Collection Dingemans for sale: Eclectic collection in a historic outdoor estate
In the early 1980s, Jan Mark Dingemans and Jet Croockewit bought an idyllic country estate on the River Angstel, centrally located between Amsterdam and Utrecht. A wonderful home for themselves, their daughters and an ever-growing collection of art objects. Now that a new phase of life has started and Geinzicht is for sale, the art collection is now also on the market. The objects from the Dingemans Collection are for sale at Kunstconsult - 20th century art | objects. The large sales exhibition will take place in the showroom of Kunstconsult in Amstelveen from 16 June to 22 July 2018.
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Kunstconsult in Gemeentemuseum The Hague: Exhibition Art Nouveau in the Netherlands
It is no coincidence that the Gemeentemuseum van Kunstconsult wanted to borrow two Purmerendse Art Nouveau ceramic sculptures. These special pieces, the Javanese court dancer of Carel Wirtz and the Kneeling Javanese boy of August Falise, are fine examples of the influence of Indonesian art and culture on Dutch Art Nouveau. They are a wonderful illustration of the 'Desire for the East', an important theme in the Art Nouveau exhibition in the Netherlands.
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Living in the Amsterdam School: Designs for the interior 1910-1930
Early last century, the explosion of energy, creativity, new shapes and innovative materials culminated in 1916 with the opening of the prestigious Scheepvaarthuis, or Shipping House, now Grand Hotel Amrâth Amsterdam. It’s also when the movement became known as the Amsterdam School. In 2016, various cultural venues throughout the capital celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Amsterdam School. One of them was the Stedelijk Museum with a major exhibition of Amsterdam School interiors.
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Exhibited in the famous Art Deco Exhibition in Paris, 1925: A Unique Tea Cabinet by Michel de Klerk
Starting in 1912 in the Netherlands, the audacious style movement known as the Amsterdam School develops. The movement is characterised by rich, sculptural imagery and ornamentation, as well as by its focus on craftsmanship and the use of luxurious materials. The expressive style leaves a strong mark on Dutch design as a whole. This also becomes clear from the Dutch contribution to the ‘Exposition des Arts décoratifs et industriels modernes’ held in Paris in the Summer of 1925. In this exhibition — from which Art Deco takes its name — the Dutch contribution mainly comprised work by Amsterdam School architects and designers. One of the exhibited works was a tea cabinet by Michel de Klerk (who suddenly passed away eighteen months before). As far as we know, this is the only known example of this design.
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Cris Agterberg: Sculptors of the Amsterdam School - part 3
Cris Agterberg (1883 - 1948) is, just like John Rädecker en Bernard Richters about whom we published before, a sculptor of the Amsterdam School.
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Bernard Richters: Sculptors of the Amsterdam School - part 2
The mask sculptures of Bernard Richters (1885-1956) are intriguing, not only because of their strong yet subtle shapes, but especially because of the emotional states that can be recognised. Just like John Rädecker, about whom we previously published a blog, Bernard Richters is considered to be an important sculptor of the Amsterdam School.
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John Rädecker: Sculptors of the Amsterdam School - part 1
John Rädecker (1885-1956) is considered the most important Dutch sculptor of the 20th century. A well-known collector of his work was Helene Kröller-Müller, founder of the Kröller-Müller Museum (where she would house her extensive art collection, including her famous collection of works by Vincent van Gogh). Also, her art teacher, H. P. Bremmer and poet P. N. Van Eyck, who lived in London, gathered and promoted John Rädecker's work.
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Amsterdam School: Expressionist Design
Growing up in a characteristic pre-war neighbourhood in Amsterdam, I have been fascinated by my surroundings from a very young age. As a child, I saw things that others would pass by without paying attention: curving brick facades casting gorgeous shadows; curiously curved window sills with zigzagging curtain rods; monsters formed from natural stone on bridges and porches - mysterious, impressive and constantly changing with the light. The expressionist streetscape the architects and artists of the Amsterdam School created unmistakably formed my sense of beauty.
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Paul Schuitema and d3: A highlight in modern tubular steel furniture
At the beginning of the 20th century, major designers developed modernist furniture from tubular steel. Paul Schuitema designed one of the most eye-catching designs of that time for the Dutch furniture factory d3.
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Georg Jensen: Master of Silver Design
Modern Danish silverware and the name Georg Jensen are often mentioned in the same breath. A tazza designed by Georg Jensen in 1918 can be seen in the exhibition Silver Design in Time at the Silver Museum in Schoonhoven, the Netherlands. This early object, decorated with bunches of grapes, is part of an overview of more than 100 years of industrially designed silver objects. Here it becomes clear how the design ideas of Georg Jensen could penetrate into the living rooms of the Dutch middle class.
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A.D. Copier & Lino Tagliapietra: Magic art glass from Murano
What’s in a name…? Andries Dirk Copier (1901–1991) is, without a doubt, the most important Dutch glass artist from the twentieth century. As head designer of the Leerdam Glassworks (N.V. Glasfabriek Leerdam), he distinguished himself in the roaring twenties with innovative designs and techniques. Following his retirement, he began an international adventure as an autonomous artist when he was already eighty years old. He travelled through Europe and to the United States to work with the best foreign glassblowers. With Lino Tagliapietra (1936) in Murano, magic happened, pinnacling in their Filigrane Interferenti.
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Fantastical creatures: ceramics by Hans de Jong
Ceramic artist Hans de Jong (1932-2011) modelled clay into fantastical creatures and playful figures with names like Crybaby, Flyfrog, Flatlander and His Transparency. With no concern for the possible functions of his objects, he let humour and craftsmanship go hand in hand.
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The Eagle That Sailed Around the World
When sculptor Jan Altorf cut his powerfully shaped eagle from limewood, he was fully aware this was going to be the crown of a newel in the villa of the Dutch industrialist Cornelis Bruynzeel sr. What he didn’t know was that this eagle would serve as a mascot half a century later at the wheelhouse of the Stormvogel (in English: Thunderbird). With this legendary speedy ocean racer, Bruynzeel’s heir and son won many ocean races.
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