FEATURES ARCHIVE

Two of the specialists who helped to curate the Nineteen to Now: Art from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries sale choose their favourite work and tell us what makes it so interesting in their practised eyes…

Daniel van Vliet, 19th Century Specialist, is surprised and intrigued by this studyof a Rooster by Henriette Ronner-Knip.

“This work is by one of the most important Dutch 19th century artists. Ronner-Knip is best known for her paintings and drawings of cats. These works are always very sweet and cuddly and are found in collections worldwide. She painted various animals in the beginning of her career, but when moving to Brussels in the 1850s she focused first on dogs before turning her attention to cats and kittens. This Study of a Rooster is a remarkable piece, because none of the softness or over-romanticising of her cat paintings is present in the work. It has been painted as a realistic representation and not as a sentimental work. It is quite unique.”

Peter van der Graaf, Post War & Contemporary Specialist, selects an Erik Andriesse piece from the collection of master printer Marcel Kalksma.

“This work comes from the private collection of the master printer Marcel Kalksma. Working with the artists to create a synergy between arts and crafts, Kalksma wanted to emphasise the interaction between himself and the artists he worked with to achieve the greatest results. The technique utilised in this work by Andriesse is very interesting. It is a linocut print, but it is very rare and unique; the artist painted the japon paper red with acrylic, applied ink, and then folded the sheet so you have mirrored Rorschach images on the background. Over this he printed his famous Amaryllises in linocut in black. At 43.5 x 226 cm, the shape of the work is exceptional. It is an extraordinarily long frieze that showcases these lovely repetitive flower prints.”