Jan Mankes - Edge of the Woods

Jan Mankes (1889–1920)

Edge of the Woods

1914–1915

2nd state

This is not a photogravure.

Hand-signed in pencil.

Plate mark: 18 × 12.2 cm

Sheet size: 27 × 21 cm

Framed

Condition:

Very good condition.

Provenance:

Private collection, Eindhoven.

Literature:

Alied Ottevanger, Jan Mankes, 1889–1920 (Catalogue Raisonné), Ge15.

Additional information:

Jan Mankes was a Dutch artist known for his landscapes, still lifes, and portraits. He was born in Meppel and studied at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. His personal vision of nature and his delicate treatment of it have earned him the nickname “Holland’s most contemplative painter.”

Mankes had a deeply personal relationship with nature. He had a great love of animals and plants and was fascinated by their small details and constant changes. This is reflected in his work, in which he often depicted nature in an intimate and poetic manner.

He frequently used clear and vivid colors, applied with thin brushstrokes, creating a sense of transparency in his paintings. His later works became more dreamlike and darker in tone. He often depicted flowers and plants in decay or on the verge of wilting, and made studies of dead birds. These subjects lend his work a melancholic atmosphere while evoking the cycle of life in nature.

These prints are fine examples of Mankes’ poetic style. He often depicted animals in their natural habitats or flowers in various stages of decay. His prints continue to be highly valued and respected for their aesthetic qualities and their contribution to Dutch art history.

Mankes died prematurely at the age of 30 from tuberculosis. Despite his early death, his work continues to be admired by art lovers to this day. Drawings and oil paintings by Mankes only occasionally appear on the market. The vast majority of his oeuvre is held in Dutch museums, including the Rijksmuseum, Museum Belvédère, Museum MORE, Museum Arnhem, and Museum Mohlmann.