- 49
Charley Toorop (1891-1955)
Description
- Charley Toorop
- Leidsegracht, Amsterdam
- signed; signed and dated Amsterdam 1927 on the reverse
- oil on canvas
- 90 by 120 cm.
Provenance
Collection P. Boendermaker, Bergen
Collection W.T. Selderbeek, Amsterdam
Collection F. Besançon, Amsterdam
Exhibited
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, Charley Toorop, 1927 no. 43
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, Breitner tussen de schilders van Amsterdam, 1957
Literature
A.M. Hammacher, Charley Toorop, Rotterdam 1952, no. 300
J.G. van Gelder, Concept oeuvre-catalogus van Charley Toorop, werk vanaf voor 1914 t/m 1942, manuscript, Rijksinstituut voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie, The Hague 1927, no.7
Catalogue Note
As a penetrating observer of the human form, Charley Toorop, daughter of the famous Dutch artist Jan Toorop, is known for her portraits in which she usually depicted herself or figures that surrounded her, such as her children, friends and colleague artists. Contrary to her numerous self-portraits, Charley developed an interest for Dutch modern architecture in the mid-twenties. Paintings from this period are most closely affined to the German ‘neue sachlichen’. Scenes of suburban streets, boarding houses for the homeless, industrial harbours and the nightlife of bars and music-halls are painted a specific detailed lively manner. In the realistic registration of her observations Charley leaves out the critical irony of life, contrary to the German artist of this time.
Her unscrupulous realism in her paintings has a magical nature. It is where Charley as an observer, which she mentions in several letters to fellow artists, often wonders if the natural appearance reflects reality? One can ask the question if perceptiveness converts to an inaccurate or unnatural presence. For Charley's paintings we can say that the unreal state is what becomes real in her paintings.
The colourful street, shaded stadiums and the typical Dutch houses of Amsterdam provided Charley with ample opportunities to the her new fascination for architecture. Because of the great appeal of this city Charley moved in 1926 to the Leidsegracht 48 in Amsterdam. It is there where she captured every aspect of urban life in a similar way as she did in her portraits. The present work Leidsegracht shares this studied attention to individual forms in the presentation of the whole. Despite being the result of many hours of careful observation and the lack of portrayed individuals Charley manages to make the urban street life seem alive.