Willem van Konijnenburg - Barn Owl

Willem van Konijnenburg (1868-1943)

Study of an Owl

Chalk on paper

Signed lower centre

71 x 52 cm

Framed

Information:

Willem van Konijnenburg (1868–1943) was a versatile Dutch artist who moved between realism and rigorously stylised, classically inspired compositions. After his training in The Hague, he began by painting landscapes in Limburg, but soon developed into an artist equally accomplished in monumental historical scenes and refined portraits.

In the early interwar years, Van Konijnenburg was regarded as one of the leading artists of his generation. While modernism was gaining ground, he deliberately chose a rational, classical visual language that gave him a distinctive position. His oeuvre includes paintings, stained glass, murals, stamp designs and numerous forms of applied art.

Van Konijnenburg was a seeker: analytical, ambitious and unafraid to change direction. His work is about creating order from chaos, a theme that characterises both his art and his personality.