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Willy Sluiter, born in 1873 and raised in Zwijndrecht near Dordrecht, was a man of many talents. Not only was he a gifted painter, designer of commercial posters and cartoonist, he also was a man with a taste for the good life and maintained a large network in the artworld and society life. This way he not only promoted himself as an artist and painter of portraits, he was also able to help clear the gap that still existed in Holland between the arts and commerce. Anticipating his marriage to Agathe van Nievervaart, Willy Sluiter bought a plot of ground in the van Wassenaerstraat in Katwijk aan Zee where he designed and built the couple's future home. After the villa was completed in 1901. The choice for Katwijk was not coincidental. After 1880 this small fishing village at a stone's throw distance from Scheveningen attracted a lot of young artist during the summer months. Some of them amongst whom Jan 'Zoetelief' Tromp (1872-1947) and Jan Toorop (1858-1928), chose Katwijk as their permanent residence. Here they found the subject matter they were looking for still unspoilt; the every day life and hardship of the fishermen. Scheveningen by then had become more and more mondaine and had lost it's artistic appeal. The pictures and drawings Sluiter executed here are among his best. The wonderful cut-off compositions and vibrant colours of his oils (lots 362, 363 and 373) can be considered a prelude to his later poster designs. The demand for poster designs by Sluiter increased gradually over the years and some very fine examples of his work are included in the present sale (lots 360, 365 and 366).

Willy Sluiter (Dutch, 1873-1949)

England=Continent/via Harwich/Hoek van Holland - a poster design

Details

Willy Sluiter (Dutch, 1873-1949)
England=Continent/via Harwich/Hoek van Holland - a poster design
signed and dated 'Willy Sluiter - '14' (lower left)
pencil, pen and black ink and watercolour on paper, unframed
38 x 48 cm.
and two other watercolour-designs of the 'Hoek van Holland-Harwich' ferry-line by the same hand (3)

Special notice

Christie's charge a buyer's premium of 20.825% of the hammer price for lots with values up to NLG 200,000. If the hammer price exceeds the NLG 200,000 then the premium is calculated at 20.825% of the first NLG 200,000 plus 11.9% of any amount in excess of NLG 200,000.

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