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Lot Essay
Ad Dekkers introduced Jan Hoekstra to Edgar Fernhout. They visited his house together and Hoekstra purchased Herfst when it was still at the easel.
Edgar Fernhout painted in a Magic Realist manner from 1930 to 1955. His work was often exhibited alongside works by Pyke Koch, Carel Willink and Dik Ket. In the mid-1950s, he became inspired by CoBrA, l'Art Informel and the École de Paris. 1956 was a turning point for Fernhout: his mother Charley Toorop died the year before and Fernhout moved to her house 'The Vlerken' in Bergen. His source of inspiration had always been nature and landscape played a major role in his works for years, but as he lived in the rural surroundings of Bergen, nature now became his most important focus. His work became gradually more abstract. The paint, the colour and the texture became of more importance than the depicted object.
After 1966 his brushstrokes became more powerful and rhythmic as he looked to simplify the image even further. As a result he limited his use of colours in which he focused on cool and light tones. He divided them more or less in the same combinations across the canvas, thereby losing the sense of depth and creating an almost fabric-like structure. Within this development the connection with his subjects could only be recognized by the titles he gave the works; Spring, Autumn, Sea etc.
Fernhout was a real godfather to an entire generation of young Dutch artists who started their careers after World War II. He was a teacher at 'Ateliers '63' in Haarlem, and among his students were Jan Dibbets, Carel Visser and Rob van Koningsbruggen.
Edgar Fernhout painted in a Magic Realist manner from 1930 to 1955. His work was often exhibited alongside works by Pyke Koch, Carel Willink and Dik Ket. In the mid-1950s, he became inspired by CoBrA, l'Art Informel and the École de Paris. 1956 was a turning point for Fernhout: his mother Charley Toorop died the year before and Fernhout moved to her house 'The Vlerken' in Bergen. His source of inspiration had always been nature and landscape played a major role in his works for years, but as he lived in the rural surroundings of Bergen, nature now became his most important focus. His work became gradually more abstract. The paint, the colour and the texture became of more importance than the depicted object.
After 1966 his brushstrokes became more powerful and rhythmic as he looked to simplify the image even further. As a result he limited his use of colours in which he focused on cool and light tones. He divided them more or less in the same combinations across the canvas, thereby losing the sense of depth and creating an almost fabric-like structure. Within this development the connection with his subjects could only be recognized by the titles he gave the works; Spring, Autumn, Sea etc.
Fernhout was a real godfather to an entire generation of young Dutch artists who started their careers after World War II. He was a teacher at 'Ateliers '63' in Haarlem, and among his students were Jan Dibbets, Carel Visser and Rob van Koningsbruggen.