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Lot Essay
Jan Mankes painted Mother in an interior in 1912, during a symbolistic phase which lasted from 1910 until 1913. In this short period Mankes' work gained more hazy softness in tone, with fading backgrounds and a slight loss of perspective after being introduced to the work of Matthijs Maris and most probably the symbolistic work of Piet Mondriaan.
The composition of the present lot is similar to the one he used in 1911 for Boy in an interior (sold in these rooms on 29 November 2005, lot 272). We recognize the haziness of Matthijs Maris and above all a clear influence in subject and composition by Johannes Vermeer. It was the sober seventeenth century genre paintings by Vermeer and Hans Holbein, which Mankes admired during his many visits to the Mauritshuis in The Hague. He praised the simplicity and never tried to copy directly. His focus was solely on the bare interior and the clear light. He used this in his own work by emphasizing on the isolated and authentic objects, which he felt close to and that were significant to him. Mother in an interior shows elements of his immediate environment. The specific objects like the Delft chair and the owl are subjects that return regularly in his work. They made Mankes reflect on the deeper meaning of their presence and the meaning of life. The simple chair for instance fits Mankes' sober taste and his appreciation of the easy rural lifestyle. The artist also employs his sober taste by means of a light, spatial and balanced composition. The green tones and careful brush strokes suggest a certain calmness. The woman appears at ease in her own home, surrounded by her belongings.
Mankes suffered from myopia early in his life. This condition is commonly known as shortsightedness, and caused visual difficulties for the artist because distant objects appeared blurred. It made Mankes cautious about complicated compositions and therefore he usually avoided them in his work. The divergent scale in his style can be recognized in Mother in an interior: the woman is very small in comparison to the other objects in the room. Mankes handles this disadvantage in an ingenious way by creating a very balanced and harmonious composition and using his deficiencies as a trademark.
Not in the least resulting here in a powerful work uniting Mankes' sober style with an enduring quality.
The composition of the present lot is similar to the one he used in 1911 for Boy in an interior (sold in these rooms on 29 November 2005, lot 272). We recognize the haziness of Matthijs Maris and above all a clear influence in subject and composition by Johannes Vermeer. It was the sober seventeenth century genre paintings by Vermeer and Hans Holbein, which Mankes admired during his many visits to the Mauritshuis in The Hague. He praised the simplicity and never tried to copy directly. His focus was solely on the bare interior and the clear light. He used this in his own work by emphasizing on the isolated and authentic objects, which he felt close to and that were significant to him. Mother in an interior shows elements of his immediate environment. The specific objects like the Delft chair and the owl are subjects that return regularly in his work. They made Mankes reflect on the deeper meaning of their presence and the meaning of life. The simple chair for instance fits Mankes' sober taste and his appreciation of the easy rural lifestyle. The artist also employs his sober taste by means of a light, spatial and balanced composition. The green tones and careful brush strokes suggest a certain calmness. The woman appears at ease in her own home, surrounded by her belongings.
Mankes suffered from myopia early in his life. This condition is commonly known as shortsightedness, and caused visual difficulties for the artist because distant objects appeared blurred. It made Mankes cautious about complicated compositions and therefore he usually avoided them in his work. The divergent scale in his style can be recognized in Mother in an interior: the woman is very small in comparison to the other objects in the room. Mankes handles this disadvantage in an ingenious way by creating a very balanced and harmonious composition and using his deficiencies as a trademark.
Not in the least resulting here in a powerful work uniting Mankes' sober style with an enduring quality.