MÚSICA DE CÁMARA || ACORDES PINTADOS

Poen de Wijs

Poen de Wijs (Dutch artist) 1948 – 2014
Kamermuziek (Chamber Music) (Encore), 1985
oil on canvas
70 x 70 cm.
signed Poen de WIjs
private collection

Poen de Wijs paints with oil, acrylics and watercolours in such a striking way, that at some distance, you hardly see the differences between the mediums. Only when viewed closely hanging side by side can those differences be seen: watercolour on paper behind glass and his paintings on canvas in a nice frame. When it is a reproduction, the pastel colours and transparency definitely work in much the same way. His works are so realistic that not everything is suitable for publication in the magazine "TEKENEN EN SCHILDEREN" ["DRAWING AND PAINTING"]. It seems to both of us that a painting of a hashish smoking youngster, although appropriate at this time and good to capture for posterity, is less suitable for this magazine, given that we have an extensive choice of his other works.
And do we take the nudes that are perceived by me to be honest and unspoiled. Though the feminists may have difficulty with that, witnessing the stones that were thrown through the windows when these paintings were exhibited in Deventer. Let it suffice here to state that it is a matter of appreciation and culture. Sometimes we require us to get used to something new.

It is undisputed that the art of the Poen de Wijs, with the characteristic repetition of figures that suggest movement, is special indeed.

Have a look at the paintings "The third wife" and "Portrait of violinist Sylvia Houtzager". Especially the latter is sublime. The profession of violinist can hardly be represented better than here by Poen de Wijs. He gives his themes an extra dimension through which they obtain a great expressiveness. Increasingly there is more to see than one thinks at the initial introduction. It takes time. With the creator it is similar. With him, too, you do not see one person in front of you, but a few at a time. He is extremely friendly, didactic and almost shy, in a civilized way, while on the other hand he knows perfectly well who he is and that he is there. Not dominant but present. A fascinating figure, Poen de Wijs, and nice to get to know.

Text from TEKENEN & SCHILDEREN, Anton Kriegsman, July 1986