Christie's charge a premium to the buyer on the fi… Read more

PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF JAN VAN HEEL Co Westerik is regarded as one of Holland's most interesting artists after World War II. In the 1950's, when much attention was claimed by the Cobra group and other abstract painters, Westerik developed an unique form of realism that is based on a sharp registration of his observations and a refined way of painting. In 1951 Westerik was one of the founding members of the artist group called Verve. Their work of the early 1950's may be described as 'Moderately Modern'. Westerik already received serious recognition for his work at an early stage. In 1951 he won the acob Maris prijs for the first time for the painting Visvrouw, now in the Groninger Museum. The public was quite shocked by this work. One critic called the painting a testimonium paupertatis. Westerik was criticised for his poor colours and false perspective. It was this sort of paintings that gave, as Blok stated, "Westerik the reputation of stressing the unpleasant aspects of his subject by deliberate deformation." In 1964 Westerik's work was included in the New Realist exhibition, curated by Wim Beeren at the Haags Gemeentemuseum, with such widely divergent examples of figuration as Bacon, David Hockney, Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. Before 1975 Westerik had already many succesful museum presentations in Holland and abroad. In general can be said that Co Westerik's work is related to human reality. There are only a few paintings in wich human beings do not appear. (See: lot 259) His work takes us into a world which is familiar and mysterious at the same time. Fear and humour go hand in hand. In one of his best known paintings 'Snijden aan gras' Westerik demonstrates to be a master in showing a scene that frightens and makes us laugh at the same time. There is often violation of scale, and irregularity in proportion that puzzles the viewer. Westerik looks for psychologically changed scenes where man is either one with nature or seems to be alienated from his surrounding. In 'De Zwemmer' series (See: lot 257) for example, the man is completly one with the element water. A number of works exhibits a high degree of dramatic imagination and could be called visionary, such as 'Vingerwijzing' (See: lot 258), which seems to have a menacing prophetic function, with a strongly symbolic rendering. Literally a fingerpointing, the pointing of a child, the realistically made traffic sign 'No Entry'. As Blok states "The world as recorded in Westerik's paintings is a physical world made of tangible substance, a world of skin, flesh and bones, of being with an exterior capable of being touched and armed and with inner organs whose functioning makes itself for better or for worse, a world in which such beings are born, grow, hurt and destroy, each other, suffer from disease, decay and die." (Blok, op cit, p.52) Westerik is a colourist who combines simpilicity and complexity. In the early works bright colours predominate and the contrasts are sometimes quite marked. In the later works, a softer, rosier colouring prevails. Favourate colours are pink, blue and green. The present lots all belonged to the painter Jan van Heel, who was a great admirer of Westerik's work. He bought most of the works in the 1960's. For more information on the artist see: Cor Blok "Kijkend naar schilderij" in Fenna de Vries, Co Westerik, Amsterdam 2000 en Wim Beeren, Co Westerik, Venlo 1981.

Co Westerik (Dutch, b. 1924)

Zelfportret met witte deur - Self portrait with white door

Details

Co Westerik (Dutch, b. 1924)
Zelfportret met witte deur - Self portrait with white door
signed and dated 'Westerik 1962' (lower centre), and signed and dated again and inscribed with title (on the reverse)
tempera and oil on panel
37.5 x 46.5 cm.

Literature

Fenna de Vries, Co Westerik, Amsterdam 1999, p.114-115, no. 8 (ill.)
Ton Knoester and Roelie Knoester-Penninkhof, Nieuwe Haagse School, Schiedam 2002, p. 176 (ill.)
W.A.L. Beeren, Co Westerik, Co Westerik, Amsterdam 1981, p. 127, no. 48 (ill.)

Exhibited

The Hague, Kunstcentrum Galerie, Zomertentoonstelling, 29 June-1 September 1968 (bought here by the present owner).
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, Co Westerik, 24 September-7 November 1971.
Groningen, Groninger Museum, Co Westerik, 23 december-23 January 1972.
Brussels, Paleis voor Schone Kunsten, Co Westerik, 4 February-5 March 1972.
The Hague, Haags Gemeentemuseum, Co Westerik, 26 May-13 August 1983.
Berlin, Staatliche Kunsthalle, Co Westerik, 16 October-16 November 1983.
Saarbrücken, Saarland Museum, Co Westerik, 27 January-25 February 1984.

Special notice

Christie's charge a premium to the buyer on the final bid price of each lot sold at the following rates: 23.8% of the final bid price of each lot sold up to and including €150,000 and 14.28% of any amount in excess of €150,000. Buyers' premium is calculated on the basis of each lot individually.

Lot Essay

Westerik has portrayed himself in his studio at 36 Barentzstraat in The Hague. On the wall behind him the painting 'Zomerscene' from 1953 is visible.

More from Twentieth Century Art including Belgian Art

View All