Rozen in vaas

Jan Mankes found the subject for his paintings always close to home. With loving attention and matriculate observation, he painted the things that were important to him. Always showing close involvement with the subject. His oeuvre can generally be divided into three main subjects: (self) portraits, animals and still lifes. It is not hard to image that the emotional involvement is achieved above all by the first two categories: His self portraits always show this contemplative, weary and careful young man. The portrayal of animals, whether they are dead or alive, easily involve the beholder. The present lot is a clear example of the third category of still life painting. One would say that with a subject like Rozen in vaas it is impossible to arouse emotional involvement. But looking at the present painting it becomes clear that Mankes achieves the exact same effect. It is not only the subject matter that gives this works the gloomy character, all elements of the of the painting contribute to this: the attention for a simple subject like these two small flowers, the use of deep and subdued colours, the strive for technical perfection and even the small size of the work. It is this unique talent that gave Mankes the title as Hollands meest verstilde schilder (J.R. de Groot, Jan Mankes - Schilderijen, tekeningen en grafiek, Utrecht 1989, p. 51)

The present lot was executed in 1912 and is part of a symbolist phase in the artist's small oeuvre, which lasted from 1910 to 1913. After being introduced to the work of Matthijs Maris and most probably the symbolist work of Piet Mondriaan, Mankes' paintings gain even more hazy softness in tone. His elaborate working method would contribute to this effect. Each thinly applied paint layer was carefully rubbed in the canvas, after which the remnants were scoured off with pumice and a new paint layer was applied, which would partially be removed again.

Mankes artistic vision was not dominated by a strive for aestetic beauty, he saw his art more as means to reflect the spiritual. In a letter to his mecenas in 1913, art collector A.M Pauwels (1875-1952) he wrote: 'Kunst is een uiting geven aan geestelijk leven. Aangezien het zuiver geestelijke, het onnoembare niet te noemen is, neemt men stoffelijke dingen te baat als middel. Schilderen bedoelt dan ook niet dan te geven de reactie der geest (ziel) op de stoffelijke dingen om daarmee tegelijkertijd het onnoembare naar buiten te brengen. Schilderen is dus nooit een afbeelding geven der stoffelijke zaken, maar psychische functie, een uiten hoe de geest regeert te opzichte der dingen. Dat is dus al een heel verschil met schilderen is de schoonheid der dingen laten zien. Ware het inderdaad zoo dan zou met de schoonheid ook het schilderen uitblijven kunnen.'(J.R. de Groot, Jan Mankes - Schilderijen, tekeningen en grafiek, Utrecht 1989, p. 51.)