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Lot Essay
To be included in the Catalogue Raisonné of the artist's work, currently being prepared by G.W.C. van Wezel.
‘The boundless sensitivity of Toorop’s rich, restless aptitude has found its perfect fulfilment in this type of art. Every means of expression suits him. A painting for him is by no means a representation of a fragment of reality, but, in profuse plastic language, it is an orchestra of voices taken from life and memory and recreated by the artist in a concentrated whole of dramatic force.’ (Jan Veth, February 1893, quoted in R. Siebelhoff, ‘The Three Brides: A Drawing by Jan Toorop,’ in Nederlands Kunsthisotrisch Jaarboek (NKJ)/ Netherlands Yearbook for History of Art, Vol. 27, 1976, p. 257).
Created in 1902, Jan Toorop’s masterful drawing Faith and Reward elegantly demonstrates the nuanced and idiosyncratic approach to symbolism that characterised the artist’s oeuvre at the turn of the century. Earning a reputation as a sharp observer of life, Toorop combined elements of social realism with profound emotion in his compositions, offering an acute insight into the everyday hardships of the common man. While Toorop had begun to explore symbolism in his paintings from the 1890s onwards, following his exposure to the literature of Maurice Maeterlinck and Emile Verhaeren, his works always remained rooted in his experiences of the real world, retaining an element of a more practical, socially-minded art, which marked him out as one of the most penetrating and sensitive artists of his day. While living in Brussels, Toorop became involved in the avant-garde exhibiting society Les XX, which allowed him to cultivate a number of important friendships and professional relationships with fellow artists, including Théo van Rysselberghe and James Ensor. His symbolist visions would subsequently inspire such artists as Gustav Klimt, who had been immediately struck by the powerful linear quality and sense of mysticism in Toorop’s work, which he had seen at the twelfth Vienna Secession in 1901.
In Faith and Reward, the artist focuses on the desperation and hardships faced by a typical fishing family. The man of the house, a fisherman by trade, is filled with frustration and disappointment at the paltry wages he has received for his labours, toiling away on a fishing boat in the dangerous North Sea. His eyes fill with tears as he holds his hand out to show his wife the three coins he has received, while two other women look on, their joy at his safe return fading at the revelation of the coins. Representing three different generations, from aged mother to suffering wife and young, innocent daughter, the women stand as emblems of all those who wait anxiously for the return of their loved ones, dependent on their work and bravery for their own survival. The picture’s message is obvious – the three coins will not be enough to sustain the family of four, and so the fisherman will have to leave again almost immediately to find more work. The scene is made all the more poignant by the presence of the woman just visible through the window, who rushes past as she hurries about her business, oblivious to the dramas taking place in the cottage. She stands as a stark reminder that the scene is not an unusual one amongst these communities, but rather one that most families face. The ship that cuts through the water in the distance, meanwhile, may allude to the many distant loved ones at sea, risking their lives at the same moment in time, a detail which emphasises the universality of the family’s predicament.
The subject matter of Faith and Reward was directly shaped by Toorop’s first-hand experience of the fishermen who made their living along the Netherlandish coast, following his move to the isolated sea-side town of Katwijk aan Zee, just west of Leiden, during the spring of 1890. The people and the harsh realities of their way of life became a frequent subject in his art after this date, with the artist finding a universal symbol of hope and survival in their practices, traditions, and faith. Indeed, the role of religion in the lives of the fisherman and his family adds an intriguing subtext to Faith and Reward. As the fisherman glances towards the small image of Christ in the far left hand corner of the composition, drawing our eyes to its presence in the process, he is overcome with emotion. Contemplating the difficulties which lie ahead, he seeks solace and hope in the image of Christ. Despite its state of disrepair, the picture remains a central feature of the home, its prominence reflecting the importance of faith and religion in their lives. While the broken glass may be a symbol for the endurance of their faith even in such times of desperation, it may also reflect an internal crisis within the fisherman, as his belief in a greater power is tested by the circumstances in which he finds himself.
The everyday hardships of ordinary man was a prevailing theme in literature and theatre at this time, and several contemporary critics linked Faith and Reward to the works of the Dutch playwright Herman Heijermans, who was also living on the western coast of the Netherlands at this time. Indeed, Toorop and Heijermans enjoyed a close friendship during this period, as is evident from the lively correspondence they shared. Like Toorop, Heijerman’s first hand experiences of the brutal conditions under which the local fishermen worked informed his artistic output, particularly the theatre piece Op Hoop van Zegen, which was staged for the first time in December 1900, just as Toorop was working on Faith and Reward. Becoming an instant success amongst Dutch audiences, the drama was a sharp indictment of the exploitation of Netherlandish fishermen at the turn of the century, exploring the harsh choices which every family faced to survive, and the stoic suffering of the women left behind as their loved ones venture out to sea. Similarly, in Toorop’s composition the three women that surround the fisherman occupy a central role in the symbolism of the painting, their worried expressions evoking a sense of despair and resignation, as they remain unable to change their circumstances or fate.
Faith and Reward was completed in January 1902, and was immediately exhibited at the Kunstzalen Oldenzeel in Rotterdam, quickly followed by the spring salon of ‘Le Libre Esthétique’ in Brussels. While the drawing was well received by critics, with many complementing the subtle psychological insight of the artist’s vision, a debate raged among art critics in the local press regarding the title of the work, as some protested against the use of the word ‘wages.’ The drawing subsequently became known as Faith and Reward, and was purchased by the Kunstmuseum in Wiesbaden, shortly after its exhibition in the city in the Autumn of 1903.
‘The boundless sensitivity of Toorop’s rich, restless aptitude has found its perfect fulfilment in this type of art. Every means of expression suits him. A painting for him is by no means a representation of a fragment of reality, but, in profuse plastic language, it is an orchestra of voices taken from life and memory and recreated by the artist in a concentrated whole of dramatic force.’ (Jan Veth, February 1893, quoted in R. Siebelhoff, ‘The Three Brides: A Drawing by Jan Toorop,’ in Nederlands Kunsthisotrisch Jaarboek (NKJ)/ Netherlands Yearbook for History of Art, Vol. 27, 1976, p. 257).
Created in 1902, Jan Toorop’s masterful drawing Faith and Reward elegantly demonstrates the nuanced and idiosyncratic approach to symbolism that characterised the artist’s oeuvre at the turn of the century. Earning a reputation as a sharp observer of life, Toorop combined elements of social realism with profound emotion in his compositions, offering an acute insight into the everyday hardships of the common man. While Toorop had begun to explore symbolism in his paintings from the 1890s onwards, following his exposure to the literature of Maurice Maeterlinck and Emile Verhaeren, his works always remained rooted in his experiences of the real world, retaining an element of a more practical, socially-minded art, which marked him out as one of the most penetrating and sensitive artists of his day. While living in Brussels, Toorop became involved in the avant-garde exhibiting society Les XX, which allowed him to cultivate a number of important friendships and professional relationships with fellow artists, including Théo van Rysselberghe and James Ensor. His symbolist visions would subsequently inspire such artists as Gustav Klimt, who had been immediately struck by the powerful linear quality and sense of mysticism in Toorop’s work, which he had seen at the twelfth Vienna Secession in 1901.
In Faith and Reward, the artist focuses on the desperation and hardships faced by a typical fishing family. The man of the house, a fisherman by trade, is filled with frustration and disappointment at the paltry wages he has received for his labours, toiling away on a fishing boat in the dangerous North Sea. His eyes fill with tears as he holds his hand out to show his wife the three coins he has received, while two other women look on, their joy at his safe return fading at the revelation of the coins. Representing three different generations, from aged mother to suffering wife and young, innocent daughter, the women stand as emblems of all those who wait anxiously for the return of their loved ones, dependent on their work and bravery for their own survival. The picture’s message is obvious – the three coins will not be enough to sustain the family of four, and so the fisherman will have to leave again almost immediately to find more work. The scene is made all the more poignant by the presence of the woman just visible through the window, who rushes past as she hurries about her business, oblivious to the dramas taking place in the cottage. She stands as a stark reminder that the scene is not an unusual one amongst these communities, but rather one that most families face. The ship that cuts through the water in the distance, meanwhile, may allude to the many distant loved ones at sea, risking their lives at the same moment in time, a detail which emphasises the universality of the family’s predicament.
The subject matter of Faith and Reward was directly shaped by Toorop’s first-hand experience of the fishermen who made their living along the Netherlandish coast, following his move to the isolated sea-side town of Katwijk aan Zee, just west of Leiden, during the spring of 1890. The people and the harsh realities of their way of life became a frequent subject in his art after this date, with the artist finding a universal symbol of hope and survival in their practices, traditions, and faith. Indeed, the role of religion in the lives of the fisherman and his family adds an intriguing subtext to Faith and Reward. As the fisherman glances towards the small image of Christ in the far left hand corner of the composition, drawing our eyes to its presence in the process, he is overcome with emotion. Contemplating the difficulties which lie ahead, he seeks solace and hope in the image of Christ. Despite its state of disrepair, the picture remains a central feature of the home, its prominence reflecting the importance of faith and religion in their lives. While the broken glass may be a symbol for the endurance of their faith even in such times of desperation, it may also reflect an internal crisis within the fisherman, as his belief in a greater power is tested by the circumstances in which he finds himself.
The everyday hardships of ordinary man was a prevailing theme in literature and theatre at this time, and several contemporary critics linked Faith and Reward to the works of the Dutch playwright Herman Heijermans, who was also living on the western coast of the Netherlands at this time. Indeed, Toorop and Heijermans enjoyed a close friendship during this period, as is evident from the lively correspondence they shared. Like Toorop, Heijerman’s first hand experiences of the brutal conditions under which the local fishermen worked informed his artistic output, particularly the theatre piece Op Hoop van Zegen, which was staged for the first time in December 1900, just as Toorop was working on Faith and Reward. Becoming an instant success amongst Dutch audiences, the drama was a sharp indictment of the exploitation of Netherlandish fishermen at the turn of the century, exploring the harsh choices which every family faced to survive, and the stoic suffering of the women left behind as their loved ones venture out to sea. Similarly, in Toorop’s composition the three women that surround the fisherman occupy a central role in the symbolism of the painting, their worried expressions evoking a sense of despair and resignation, as they remain unable to change their circumstances or fate.
Faith and Reward was completed in January 1902, and was immediately exhibited at the Kunstzalen Oldenzeel in Rotterdam, quickly followed by the spring salon of ‘Le Libre Esthétique’ in Brussels. While the drawing was well received by critics, with many complementing the subtle psychological insight of the artist’s vision, a debate raged among art critics in the local press regarding the title of the work, as some protested against the use of the word ‘wages.’ The drawing subsequently became known as Faith and Reward, and was purchased by the Kunstmuseum in Wiesbaden, shortly after its exhibition in the city in the Autumn of 1903.