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Lot Essay
Although the neo-plastic idea must have helped Bart van der Leck to execute his artistic ideas, Piet Mondriaan's and Theo Van Doesburg's radical and philosophically based method of abstraction in the end did not satisfy Van der Leck. At the end of 1918 after a last series of compositions, he decided not to sign the De Stijl manifest. After 1921 Van der Leck no longer produced totally abstract paintings. It is very likely that financial considerations played a role in this decision. Mrs. Hlne Krller-Mller, one of his main supporters in his early years, did not welcome his move towards total abstraction.
In 1922, the year of execution of the present lot, Van der Leck reached his own mature style, reducing the image into primary colourfields in which the beholder, helped by the title of the picture in question, is still able to recognize the origin of the subject. It was as Cees Hilhorst states "the openness the composition" which remained the crucial factor (op.cit Hilhorst, p. 56).
From 1922 untill 1931 Van der Leck mainly depended on the allowance he received on a regular basis from the art critic H.P. Bremmer. In those years nearly every painting he produced was sent to Bremmer who in his turn tried to find a buyer among his rich art pupils. Often Bremmer did suggestions about sizes and subject matters, stating for instance that "large dimensions are difficult to hang and to sell" (op.cit. Hilhorst, letter 033). The present lot was probably one of the horizontal small still lives which Van der Leck wanted to send to Bremmer, as mentioned in a letter dated 5 September 1922: "Binnenkort zend ik U twee nieuwe werken, die dan wel gereed zullen zijn. Het werken aan deze twee heeft me zoo gevangen gehouden ..."(op.cit. Hilhorst, letter 049).
From the collection of the Krller - Mller Museum, Otterlo, three drawings from Van der Leck's hand can be related to the present lot, all dating from 1922 (inv.no. 440 gr. 37, inv.no. 440 gr. 52, inv.no. 440 gr. 53; see exh.cat. Krller - Mller Museum, Bart van der Leck, Otterlo 1994, cat.no. 109-111). From these drawings a jug, a plate and a bowl can be identified.
In 1922, the year of execution of the present lot, Van der Leck reached his own mature style, reducing the image into primary colourfields in which the beholder, helped by the title of the picture in question, is still able to recognize the origin of the subject. It was as Cees Hilhorst states "the openness the composition" which remained the crucial factor (op.cit Hilhorst, p. 56).
From 1922 untill 1931 Van der Leck mainly depended on the allowance he received on a regular basis from the art critic H.P. Bremmer. In those years nearly every painting he produced was sent to Bremmer who in his turn tried to find a buyer among his rich art pupils. Often Bremmer did suggestions about sizes and subject matters, stating for instance that "large dimensions are difficult to hang and to sell" (op.cit. Hilhorst, letter 033). The present lot was probably one of the horizontal small still lives which Van der Leck wanted to send to Bremmer, as mentioned in a letter dated 5 September 1922: "Binnenkort zend ik U twee nieuwe werken, die dan wel gereed zullen zijn. Het werken aan deze twee heeft me zoo gevangen gehouden ..."(op.cit. Hilhorst, letter 049).
From the collection of the Krller - Mller Museum, Otterlo, three drawings from Van der Leck's hand can be related to the present lot, all dating from 1922 (inv.no. 440 gr. 37, inv.no. 440 gr. 52, inv.no. 440 gr. 53; see exh.cat. Krller - Mller Museum, Bart van der Leck, Otterlo 1994, cat.no. 109-111). From these drawings a jug, a plate and a bowl can be identified.