Lot 518: Han Wezelaar (Dutch, 1901-1984)

De dikke man - The fat man
signed with initials and dated 'HW 1934' (on the reverse)
terracotta
46 x 42 cm.
Conceived in 1931 in an edition of 4.

Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Tentoonstelling Hollandsche Kunstenaarskring, 2-23 June 1934
Amsterdam, Atelierwoningen Zomerdijkstraat, Atelierwoningen Plan Zuid. Tentoonstelling van kunstwerken door de bewoners van de Atelierwoningen Plan Zuid, 24 November 1934 - ?
The Hague, Kunstzalen D'Audretsch, Tentoonstelling van beeldhouwwerken door H. Wezelaar, 9-26 October 1935
Amsterdam, Santee Landweer, Tentoonstelling beeldhouwwerken door H. Wezelaar, 9-28 November 1935, cat.no. 13.
Groningen, Kunstlievend Genootschap Pictura, Tentoonstelling W.W.W, 1-36 October 1936, cat.no 13
Laren, Kunstzaal Hamdorff, Tentoonstelling beeldhouwwerken H.M. Wezelaar, 11 October-2 November 1941, cat.no. 13
Laren, Singer Museum, Han Wezelaar, Beelden en tekeningen, 15 November-16 December 1980, cat.no. 78

V.P.S. Esser and K.G. Boon, Wezelaar. Een overzicht van zijn beelden, portretten en tekeningen, Venlo 1984, p. 36
J. Teeuwisse, Han Wezelaar Statuaire, Zwolle 2003, p. 66 (another cast ill.) and p. 238/239, no. 50 (another cast ill.)

A COLLECTION OF WORKS BY HAN WEZELAAR (LOTS 518-528)

Han Wezelaar (1901-1984) was one of the leading and central personalities within Dutch figurative sculpting in its short florescence from 1945 until the 60ties of the last century. His long stay in France (from 1923), his return to The Netherlands (1935) and the changes in the Dutch artscene determined his development as a sculptor. After a short study with Ossip Zadkine during his French period, he continued to work in a personal expressionist idiom. The 'Fat Man' and 'The Lovers' (lots 518 and 519) are typical examples of this style. Like so many of his fellow sculptors, Wezelaar left the path of expressionism in the beginning of the 30ties.

Back in The Netherlands, Wezelaar distinguished himself from his more nationalistic minded colleagues by his broad international orientation. He played an important role during the preparations of the influential exhibition Rondom Rodin. Tentoonstelling honderd jaar Franse Sculptuur in the summer of 1939 in the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, which gave Dutch sculptors and art lovers a chance to become acquainted with the latest French developments. His international orientation lead to a twofold strategy after WWII, devoting himself to Dutch sculptors abroad and foreign sculptors in The Netherlands. In doing so he contributed to the fame of the so called 'New Sculpture' in The Netherlands.

Besides an intimate oeuvre of free sculptures, a number of famous public works and monuments are from his hand, as there are the sketching 'Rembrandt' along the river Amstel in Amsterdam, the 'Vissersgedenkteken' in IJmuiden or Dr. F.M. Wibaut, also in Amsterdam. The following collection of works by Han Wezelaar give us a short but impressive summary of his oeuvre, with early expressionistic works and later more classical examples, in different materials, free works and designs for monumental commissions. Wezelaar shows us his power and all his qualities.

The collection will be followed by a collection of works by Wezelaar's wife, Liesbeth Wezelaar-Dobbelmann (lots 529-533)

Christie's charges a Buyer's premium calculated at 23.205% of the hammer price for each lot with a value up to €110,000. If the hammer price of a lot exceeds €110,000 then the premium for the lot is calculated at 23.205% of the first €110,000 plus 11.9% of any amount in excess of €110,000. Buyer's Premium is calculated on this basis for each lot individually.