The Wonderful Women of Van der Vorst Grafiek
The Girl, the Lady, the Muse: women have been important sources of creative inspiration to countless artists for as long as we can remember.
Van der Vorst Grafiek has collected lithographs, stencil etchings and aquatints by some of the greatest artists in history (Picasso, Matisse and Kees van Dongen; to name a few). These beautifully demonstrate the concept of female inspiration...
Allow us to introduce you to these wonderful ladies, all available at Van der Vorst Grafiek. Let's go for it!
First up: Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973), although we might as well call him Casanova. Although he was legally married to Olga Khokhlova (1891 - 1955), his passion for the opposite sex was too great not to keep lovers on the side...
Françoise Gilot 1, by Pablo Picasso. Lithograph, Mourlot, Paris 1954. 35.5 x 25.5 cm. Available at Van der Vorst Grafiek.
He was drawn to the bohemian sensuality of a mistress, such as renowned artist Françoise Gilot (1921), who later also became the mother of two of his children.
Picasso's loving portraits of her are well-known, but after the couple’s separation there wasn't much love left to go around… Picasso didn't just completely stop depicting her, but he also convinced every art dealer in the neighbourhood to not to purchase any more of her work.
One relief: Picasso never lacked any creative input. He met the muse of his old age soon after. When he was 72 years old, he courted Jacqueline Roque (1927 - 1989), aged 26, by drawing doves on her house and personally bringing her a rose each day until she obliged to his advances. What a charmer.
Jacqueline avec Fleurs, by Pablo Picasso. Lithographic poster for 'Les Peintres Témoins de leur temps'. Mourlot, Paris, 1956. 76 x 51 cm. Available at Van der Vorst Grafiek.
Jacqueline was also a great source of inspiration to Picasso and by the time of his death, he had finished a massive production of over 400 portraits, often characterized by an exaggerated neck and feline face.
This is where things turned sour again: as the former muses of the Picasso, both Françoise and Jacqueline fought over the distribution of the late artist’s estate.
Françoise argued Picasso had been mentally ill, and Jacqueline on her account prevented Françoise and Picasso’s children from attending the artist’s funeral.
Whereas Jacqueline sadly killed herself in 1986 under mysterious circumstances, Françoise Gilot is still very much alive today. The many existing portraits of these ladies exhume the adoration Picasso had for them.
The difficult situation they found themselves in creates both a sense of contradiction when viewing these portraits and an increase in intrinsic value for sure.
Le Coquelicot (The Corn Poppy), depicting Guusje van Dongen by Kees van Dongen. Scarce lithography in excellent condition, 66 x 47.5 cm. Available at Van der Vorst Grafiek.
Kees van Dongen (1877 - 1968) is another example, especially renowned for his sensuous portraits of women. To him, the female was the ‘most beautiful landscape’, clearly demonstrated by the portraits of his wife, Juliana Augusta "Guus" van Dongen (1878 - 1946).
Guusje (an example of her depiction can be seen above) was an artist herself and met Van Dongen at the Rotterdam Academy of Fine Arts. When Guusje left for Paris, Kees van Dongen travelled back and forth to visit her until they were finally married in 1901.
Brigitte Bardot, by Kees van Dongen. Color lithograph, lithographic poster for Musée Galliera, 1964 Mourlot, Paris. Available at Van der Vorst Grafiek.
When their marriage ended in 1921, Van Dongen did not abandon his love for the female subject. Instead, he followed his ambitions and began portraying the famous ladies of Parisian society.
Although this practice did not match the bohemian eroticism of his first decades of work, his focus on the female is still present; one of his most renowned models was famous actress and singer Brigitte Bardot (1934).
As women continue to be a source of creative inspiration, we suggest taking a better look at Van der Vorst Grafiek's collection. You might just find yourself to be inspired as well.
