Tunisian scene – Tunesisch tafereel 1900

Henricus Jansen

InkPaperMixed mediaCharcoalCrayonChalk
49.40 ⨯ 69.20 cm
ConditionGood
€ 1.200

Klooster Fine Art

• About the artwork
  [EN]
  This Tunisian scene was probably made by Henricus during his almost two-year stay in Tunisia between 1899 and 1901. Although during this stay, Henricus developed his colour palette to paint the landscape and city views, but he also executed several drawings in black and white. The drawing depicts a hooded man with his arms spread out, seemingly preaching in an alleyway. On the left there are two people, one sitting against a column, the other standing bent over, turned towards the standing man. On the right-hand side a bearded man is seated, gesturing with his right hand.
  
  Henricus used his very graphic style, which shows his proficiency as an illustrator. Henricus signed the drawing in two places: on the left-hand side from top to bottom, and in the lower left.
  
  On the reverse side of the sheet, Henricus started a river view in coloured chalk.
  
  [NL]
  Deze Tunesische scene werd vermoedelijk door Henricus gemaakt gedurende de bijna twee jaar dat hij in Tunesië verbleef, tussen 1899 en 1901. Hoewel hij in deze periode een helder kleurpalet ontwikkelde om de landschappen en stadsgezichten te schilderen, maakte hij ook verschillende tekeningen in zwart-wit. Deze tekening verbeeldt een man met een mantelkap over zijn hoofd, met zijn armen gespreid. Ogenschijnlijk is hij aan het spreken. Aan de linkerzijde bevinden zich twee mensen, de een zittend tegen een zuil, de ander voorovergebogen staand, richting de staande man. Aan de rechterzijde zit een bebaarde man met zijn rechterhand te gebaren.
  
  Henricus voerde de tekening uit in een grafische stijl, die zijn kwaliteit als illustrator verraadt. Hij signeerde de tekening op twee plaatsen: aan de linkerzijde van boven naar onder, en linksonder.
  
  Op de keerzijde van het blad startte Henricus een riviergezicht in gekleurd krijt.
• About the artist

  Hendricus (Henricus) Jansen (The Hague, January 2, 1867 – Rotterdam, February 5, 1921) was a Dutch graphic artist, lithographer, illustrator, painter, draftsman, designer, pastelist, wall painter, glass painter and etcher. He trained at the Academy of Visual Arts in The Hague. As an artist he worked under the name Henricus.

  He worked in The Hague, Liège, Paris, Normandy, Brittany, Rhenen, Voorburg, Renkum, Leiden, Heeze and Rotterdam.

  His production consisted of portraits, cityscapes, oriental scenes, figure representations, religion, book decorations, while he is also known to have a cover drawing for sheet music. He painted many oriental cities, mostly Arab streets, in bright colors and with strong light and shadow areas. There are also known glass paintings by him.

  A special work is a portfolio with 27 lithographs: Dat Liedekin by Heere Halewine published by De Erven F. Bohn, Haarlem in 1904 and printed by N.V. Lith. v/h S. Lankhout & Co. in The Hague. In the series The Applied Arts in the Netherlands, The illumination of the book by G.H. Pannekoek Jr., published by W.L.& J. Brusse, Rotterdam, 1927, Pannekoek writes on p. 36: I still remember the impression the prints made everywhere when they were exhibited in the Haagsche Kunstkring in 1903. As far as can be determined, this is the only time that the 27 lithographs have been shown in full. Henricus worked on this colossal book for two full years. Between 1893 and 1906 he made cartoons for the Nederlandsche Spectator and images for Elseviers Maandblad.

  In the Royal Theater in The Hague there is an oval ceiling in one room with a painting by Henricus Jansen, while in the same city a number of Art Nouveau scenes hang in Restaurant and Lounge Henricus - named after him - in Sophialaan. Jansen also staged shadow plays and made the costume designs for a student performance of Lorenzo de Medici on the occasion of the 12th anniversary of the Delft Student Corps in 1908. Henricus also took the illustrations for the commemorative edition of this piece, with a prose text by P.C. Boutens, on his behalf.

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