Maarten Jungmann | Rotterdam, Netherlands
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untitled, 1910 (ca.)
oil on panel, 30x20cmJungmann has abstracted his subject to such an extent that its subject has become irrelevant; the flowers may appear as geraniums but they no longer hold the physical properties of said flowers. Taking on abstract forms they become much more fluid and lose their dimensionality. Fluidity of form is strengthened by the use of rich colours and thickly applied paint. The small painting is flooded by golden light. The artist achieved this through sensitive manipulation of colour. The remarkable light may have transcendental nuances.
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untitled, unknown
oil on panel, 20x30cmThe focus of attention lies upon the orange-red radiating poppy, which has been abstracted to its rudiments. The painted space shows an unusual perspective; almost all reference to dimensionality have seized and some Cubist elements appear. While notions of figurative reality are vanishing, the poppy lights up the otherwise rather dark and mysterious environment like a lantern, exuding erotic passion.
Observing the lively green shrub-like background, one could argue that this small artwork is a precursor to Abstract Expressionism. Besides the green tonal interplay, the contrasting red and orange create a striking arrangement. The rhythmic quality is strengthened by the wavy wood grain of the oak panel surface of the artwork, which the artist lets shine through the paint.
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untitled, unknown
oil on MDF, 25.5x21.5cmThe poppy takes on a magisterial character in this painting. The ethereal qualities of the flower that only lives for a day are accentuated. The almost celestial character is hightened by touches of light that can be observed around the edges of the flower, as the poppy has been backlit dramatically.
The painting displays a poetic symphony of lines that create a vibrating surface, especially in the green part, below the flower head. Some budding poppies can be observed lower down by its stem, but these are engulfed by the dance of lines. Rather than describing the work as figurative, it would be more appropriate to say that out of abstraction a recognisable form emerges.