Edgar Fernhout (1912-1974)
Artist's Resale Right ("Droit de Suite"). Artist's… Read more NEW DUTCH CONSTRUCTIVISM AND MORE: THE JAN AND TINEKE HOEKSTRA COLLECTION
Edgar Fernhout (1912-1974)

Herfst (Autumn)

Details
Edgar Fernhout (1912-1974)
Herfst (Autumn)
signed and dated 'Fernhout 72' (lower left); signed, titled and dated '-herfst- Fernhout 1972' (on the reverse)
oil on canvas
91x 91cm.
Painted in 1972
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist by Jan and Tineke Hoekstra in 1972.
Literature
A. van den Berk, Edgar Fernhout, Amsterdam 1990, no. 341.
Special notice
Artist's Resale Right ("Droit de Suite"). Artist's Resale Right Regulations 2006 apply to this lot, the buyer agrees to pay us an amount equal to the resale royalty provided for in those Regulations, and we undertake to the buyer to pay such amount to the artist's collection agent.

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Lisa Snijders
Lisa Snijders

Lot Essay

Ad Dekkers introduced Jan Hoekstra to Edgar Fernhout. They visited his house together and Hoekstra purchased Herfst when it was still at the easel.
Edgar Fernhout painted in a Magic Realist manner from 1930 to 1955. His work was often exhibited alongside works by Pyke Koch, Carel Willink and Dik Ket. In the mid-1950s, he became inspired by CoBrA, l'Art Informel and the École de Paris. 1956 was a turning point for Fernhout: his mother Charley Toorop died the year before and Fernhout moved to her house 'The Vlerken' in Bergen. His source of inspiration had always been nature and landscape played a major role in his works for years, but as he lived in the rural surroundings of Bergen, nature now became his most important focus. His work became gradually more abstract. The paint, the colour and the texture became of more importance than the depicted object.
After 1966 his brushstrokes became more powerful and rhythmic as he looked to simplify the image even further. As a result he limited his use of colours in which he focused on cool and light tones. He divided them more or less in the same combinations across the canvas, thereby losing the sense of depth and creating an almost fabric-like structure. Within this development the connection with his subjects could only be recognized by the titles he gave the works; Spring, Autumn, Sea etc.
Fernhout was a real godfather to an entire generation of young Dutch artists who started their careers after World War II. He was a teacher at 'Ateliers '63' in Haarlem, and among his students were Jan Dibbets, Carel Visser and Rob van Koningsbruggen.

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