Charles van Wijk (1875-1917)

THE PROPERTY OF T.H. VAN WIJK, SOUTH AFRICA the grand-son of the sculptor Charles van Wijk (Lots 165 - 191) Little is known about the sculptor Charles van Wijk (1875-1917), who died very young and whose works are still very popular and sought after on today's market. Therefore it is very exciting and interesting that suddenly, after the death of the last son of Charles van Wijk, this collection is being offered for sale, containing works by Van Wijk and by colleague artists, which were still in the collection of the family. Very illustrative is the drawing by Willy Sluiter of Van Wijk, pushing the wheelbarrow with clay to the subject he wanted to work on (lot 181). Sculptors hardly ever work outside, but Van Wijk wanted to see the effects light made on his work. Thus he experienced differences of shade all the time, like painters do. This extraordinary way of working gave van Wijk the nickname 'Man with the Wheelbarrow' (see lot 181). Touching is the drawing of Van Wijk's friend Willy Sluiter, showing the two of them opposite in their sickbed. Sadly Van Wijk never recovered and died that same year, 41 years old. Van Wijk was born as a son of a founder in The Hague and already at a very early age he started sculpting. He went to the Koninklijke Academie in The Hague and after that to Paris to be trained at the famous foundry of Barbedienne. Very important for his development was his stay in Brussels (1896/97), where he met the famous sculptors of that time: Meunier, Van der- Stappen and Lambeaux. Especially Meunier influenced Van Wijk deeply in his work. He was involved with various painters of the Hague School and married the daughter of Jacob Maris. Though a sculptor himself he was influenced a great deal by the painters around him. Firstly in the choice of his subjects: Mothers with children, farmers, fishermen and animals. He treated the subjects also in a very impressionistic way, which was rather contrary to what most sculptors did in his time, who worked in a more classical style, like for instance Pier Pander. We like to thank Drs H.C. Stork for helping to catalogue this property

Details

Charles van Wijk (1875-1917)

An allegory of reason;
An allegory of imagination

one signed Charles v. Wijk, plaster,
40 cm high (inclusive base) (2)

Lot Essay

The plasters in the present lot are models for the large statues flanking the J.H. van 't Hoff-monument in Rotterdam.
The monument was unveiled 17 April 1917.
Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff was a well-known physicist who won a Nobelprize for his chemical research.

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