Jan Sluijters

The estate of the late Dr. A.B. Lanz, Glion-sur-Montreux, Switzerland
Acquired by the present owner from the above

Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, La Joie de Peindre-Jan Sluijters, 1951, no.97

The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate with the original. This work seems to be in excellent condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This light-hearted work, a smaller version of the painting La Joie de Peindre, 1946, which can be considered a pars pro toto for the last part of Sluijters' oeuvre, when the artist returned to subjects that had always fascinated him most. A reclining nude, a flower arrangement, a still life and a patterned wall covering as a background were beloved themes that, over the course of Sluijters' career, returned in various shapes and forms.
Therefore La Joie de Peindre was an appropriate title for the retrospective exhibition of Sluijters' work in the Amsterdam Stedelijk Museum in 1951 (lot 70), where both paintings were represented. It might also be linked to the early work  La Joie de Vivre by Matisse, an artist to whom Sluijters seems to bear great likeness in general.

(from: exhibition catalogue, 's Hertogenbosch, Noordbrabants Museum, Jan Sluijters, 1981, p.102).

The present lot will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné on the artist work, currently being prepared by the Netherlands Institute for Art History (RKD) in The Hague.